Kathmandu, March 6:

The Association of Youth Organisations, Nepal (AYON), today launched a programme — Youth in Development Partnership (YDP) 2006, in coordination with Poverty Reduction Strategy Resource Center.

Youth in Development Partnership is a grant that promotes youth involvement in development and supports innovative projects of youth-led organisations and groups all over Nepal. It aims to support seven youth projects with a maximum grant amount of Rs 3 lakhs in diverse fields including Education, Health, Employment, Youth Participation, Agriculture, Conflict Resolution, Infrastructure and Environment.

Inaugurating the programme, secretary at the Ministry of General Administration, Madhav Ghimire, said the programme was directly linked to the government’s three-prong approach to development, especially in creating space for developmental efforts.

“Youths should be taken as partners in development,” he said.

The Focal Person for Youth in South Asia at the World Bank, Rajeev Upadhyay, said no challenge in the country was big for committed people.

Programme director of the YDP-2006, Sudyumna Dahal, said the programme was first of its kind in Nepal. He also said this was an opportunity for the youth, their organisations and all stakeholders, to foster inter-agency collaboration for greater youth participation.

President of the AYON, Rajendra Mulmi, said there are few opportunities for young people in developmental efforts and the YDP hoped to encourage the participation of more young people in the field.