Kateera, a professional pilot, is attached to the Ugandan embassy in Canada and plans to use his new position to support the Canada’s commitment to listen to young people and engage them in dialogue. In an interview with The Observer, he said this is an opportunity to put forward views of young people living in Canada.
“This opportunity is an evolution of myself to another wavelength. My appointment will put the young women and men of Uganda at the center of Canadian investment through human capital projects focused on youth entrepreneurship, education and skill development,” he said. “This will be achieved through scholarships, jobs for youth as well as equipping young people with skills needed for the digital economy.”
He further noted that he will leverage his influence to urge the Ugandan government and East Africa at large to commit the right resources and enact policies to ensure that a path to prosperity is within reach for youth, women and children.
“I will promote a policy-enabling environment for a youth-entrepreneurship ecosystem and create a platform that will hear directly from young change-makers on ways to harness skills, talents and ideas of the Ugandan youth,” he said.
In practice, the youth council engages with the Canadian prime minister, his cabinet and senior government officials several times a year to discuss issues of importance to them, their peers, their community and their countries of origin. This often results in the prime minister tasking ministers and federal departments and agencies to undertake further analysis of issues in order to address the youth council’s input.
The council provides a unique platform for youth to influence policy by expressing themselves in their own voice. In many ways, the youth council is a lobby group for disadvantaged youth across the globe to showcase their talents and capabilities in order to be provided with a global platform.
In this case, Kateera will lead council members in developing and delivering input in their own words to the Canadian parliament. Kateera also plans to equip and link skilled Ugandans, especially those with community-based initiatives, with what it takes to elevate their careers in Canada.
“To the youth, I see a promising future and tomorrow starts today. So, now is the time to exhibit one’s special abilities to gain unlimited access to resources needed to achieve a dream. You are where you are today because you stand on somebody’s shoulders,” he noted.
“And wherever one is heading, you cannot get there by yourself. I know that many Ugandans stand on the shoulders of others; so, they have a reciprocal responsibility to live a life so that others may stand on their shoulders. It’s the quid pro quo of life that the youth council is providing,” he said.
“We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.”
It remains to be seen how Kateera will approach the Ugandan youth but what is without doubt is that his appointment will provide a platform for Ugandan youth to showcase their skills and craft to a global audience with an opportunity to become global brands.
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