Naitaisiri Youth Festival: Final Day Heralds Ground Handover and Calls for Stronger Market Access and Health Awareness
As the Naitaisiri Provincial Youth Festival reaches its fourth and final day, youths from the Nabuabuco District are pressing for greater market access, stronger support for agriculture, and more widespread awareness programs on drugs and HIV. The four-day event—the first of its kind in Naitaisiri—has served as a platform for young people to exchange ideas and explore opportunities at home and beyond.
Nabuabuco District Youth President Malakai Waqa stressed the festival’s importance as a space where practical needs can be addressed, including agriculture, farming, market access, and unemployment. “This festival is an important platform that our youths should embrace fully; this is where we can address the challenges we face in agriculture, farming, market and other issues even unemployment,” he said.
Across the festival, participants have used the discussions to spotlight social issues and economic development, with a particular emphasis on agriculture as a key driver of improved livelihoods for local youths. On the culmination day, Nawaisomo ground will be officially handed over to Naitaisiri youths by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, alongside the festival’s final Netball and Rugby competitions.
Context and outlook
The event sits within a broader national effort to engage Fiji’s young people in development through regional festivals, roadshows, and youth-focused programs. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has signaled ongoing commitments to improve youth development policies, support entrepreneurship and digital skills, and promote healthy lifestyles as part of SDG-aligned initiatives. Observers note the need for follow-up reporting on the services accessed by youths, any commitments made by ministries, and measurable opportunities created for the province.
What this means for Naitaisiri
– Youths gain a high-profile platform to raise concrete needs—especially in market access and agricultural support.
– The Nawaisomo ground handover provides a tangible asset for local youth activities and potential community programs.
– The emphasis on drug and HIV awareness aligns with ongoing national efforts to reduce substance abuse and improve youth health outcomes.
Summary
The Naitaisiri Youth Festival closes on a hopeful note, with a ground handover to local youths and final competitions signaling opportunities for leadership, development, and community engagement. The event highlights the importance of agriculture, market access, and health education in empowering young people to build sustainable livelihoods.
Additional value and considerations
– Follow-up reporting could track what new services and programs ministries announce for Naitaisiri, how they will be implemented, and what beneficiaries access them.
– Local youth should be encouraged to document festival outcomes—photos, videos, and testimonials—to showcase progress and maintain momentum.
– Stakeholders might consider a post-festival review to assess the impact on youth employment, farm income, and uptake of health education initiatives.
Overall, the festival reinforces a positive trajectory for youth-led development in Naitaisiri, with the Nawaisomo ground handover standing as a milestone that could support broader local initiatives in agriculture, enterprise, and health awareness. A hopeful takeaway is that sustained investment and accountability could translate these discussions into lasting opportunities for young people across the district.
Leave a comment