Ondjiva - The First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, appealed today, in Cunene Province, the importance of permanent interaction with young people and teenagers, through the creation of a platform for debate and support.
Ana Dias Lourenço made this statement at the end of the lecture cycle aimed at young people and teenagers in the Province of Cunene, having highlighted that the action aims to change behavior, in order for them, to become capable of dealing with the adversities and new times challenges.
To this end, she pointed out the existence of actions and projects aiming, effectively, to respond to the needs and desires of young people and adolescents in that province.
She argued that young people constitute the driving force of the country and, with the support and guidance of adults, they must become agents of change.
For this reason, she highlighted the need for the youth to believe, be persistent, resilient and united to find solutions that can support public policies, not only for the province of Cunene, but nationwide.
Regarding the lecture cycle, she said that it aimed to find a platform for sharing important topics about health and well-being so that the youth can have responsible attitudes and behaviors.
Among these, she mentioned those relating to health and self-care, in order to engage young people in searching for answers in the services available in health and counseling units, as well as through research using books and digital formats.
Along this path, the First Lady highlighted the debate on sexual reproductive health, pregnancy and early marriages, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, family planning and their implications for the mental health of adolescents and young people.
She went on to explain that the intention is to respond to several requests from this section of society and, therefore, praised the capacity and desire demonstrated by the participants, becoming an example in terms of knowledge, training and mastery to deal with the themes presented.
For her part, the governor of the Province of Cunene, Gerdina Didalelwa, expressed gratitude for holding this event, which has a great impact on raising awareness in society, mainly among young people and adolescents, with regard to physical and mental health.
She mentioned that sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancy and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances constitute serious problems that deserve crutial attention from the family and society, as they present themselves as phenomena that compromise the future of young people and the country.
According to the minister, these are social problems that call for positive solutions, especially in the province that shares a vast border with Namibia, with great mobility of people of different nationalities, which leads to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and the consumption of psychoactive substances.
As an example, she said that during 2023, Cunene registered 1,436 positive cases of HIV/AIDS, the result of 52,536 tests carried out, of which 861 began treatment.
Gerdina Didalelwa also highlighted that teenage pregnancy is a phenomenon that has increasingly intensified, negatively increasing the school dropout rate.
For this reason, she highlighted that the promotion of the lecture series will encourage a healthy lifestyle among young people, prevent diseases and awaken a feeling of personal and collective responsibility.
The mission to Cunene is part of the social and community programs that its Ngana Zenza foundation for Community Development (FDC) carries out in Angola in favor of the populations.
Alongside the lecture, Ana Dias Lourenço visited the place to implement the integrated services project to support adolescents and young people.
For Wednesday, the last working day, a meeting to review the Project Nascer Livre Para Brilhar (Born free to shine in English) is scheduled.
FI/LHE/SC/CF/jmc
