Apac, Uganda – In a groundbreaking initiative to integrate marginalized youth into government development programs, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner (ARDC) of Apac, Jonal Okot, held a significant meeting with over 300 ghetto youth at Market Street, Industrial Ward in Apac Municipality on Friday March 7, 2025.
The meeting aimed to address issues affecting these youth, including crime, drug abuse, and economic hardships, while providing them with a pathway to benefit from government empowerment initiatives.
Accompanying Okot were Alunga Tonny, the Chairperson of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Temogo Parish, and Odongo Thomas, the Chairperson of PDM Industrial Ward.
Their presence underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that all youth, regardless of their background, are not left behind in the country’s development agenda.
During the engagement, Okot acknowledged the concerns raised by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni regarding increasing cases of youth involvement in crime, including robbery, theft, drug abuse, and prostitution.
He emphasized that the president had directed RDCs, RCCs, and their deputies to actively engage young people to curb criminality and provide them with opportunities to transform their lives positively.
“The community often perceives ghetto youth as useless, but the government believes in diagnosing the problem to find a sustainable solution. We must interact with them before they are completely sidelined from benefiting from government programs,” Okot stated.
He further highlighted that many of the youths lacked national identification cards, a critical requirement for accessing government support. Some had their IDs confiscated by loan officers and moneylenders due to unpaid debts.
Okot vowed to assist those in this predicament and urged affected youths to visit his office on Monday, March 10, 2025, so he could help them retrieve their IDs.
To provide the youth with sustainable economic opportunities, Okot and the PDM leaders encouraged them to form enterprise groups which would make them eligible for funding under government poverty alleviation programs such as Parish Development Model (PDM), Youth Livelihood Program (YLP), among others.
PDM Chairpersons Odongo Thomas and Alunga Tonny said that they want the youth to shift from criminal activities and become productive citizens, forming enterprise groups will enable them to access financial support and create meaningful employment for themselves.
They said that the youth must take advantage of available government programs to change their lives.
One of the youths, Innocent Okello, a former senior six student who now runs a successful roasted meat (muchomo) business, shared his testimony. He narrated how he transitioned from hopelessness to financial independence through small-scale entrepreneurship. His story inspired many others to consider alternative livelihoods instead of engaging in crime.
Okot called on the youth to abandon theft and embrace legal income-generating activities. He pointed out that involvement in criminal acts often leads to imprisonment, ruining their future prospects.
He also acknowledged the challenges the youth face, such as community neglect, lack of proper sensitization, and limited access to financial resources.
“Many of these young people have been ignored by society, yet they have great potential. We must empower them to be part of the government’s wealth creation agenda,” Okot emphasized.
He reassured the ghetto youth that this engagement was not a one-time event. He pledged to expand the initiative to all sub-counties and trading centers in Apac District to ensure that more young people embrace government development programs and transform their lives.
The meeting ended on a hopeful note, with the youth expressing gratitude for being recognized and included in government initiatives. Many pledged to abandon criminal activities and await the promised support through PDM and other economic programs.
For the first time, these youth saw a government that cares for them and is willing to support their transition into productive members of society. With continued engagement and commitment from local leaders, Apac’s ghetto youth now have a chance at a better future.
