MORE than 30 youths around Honiara have successfully completed a youth innovation workshop on Wednesday.
The “Solomon Islands Youth Innovation Training and Planning Workshop was funded and organised by United Nations Peace-building Fund (UNPBF) project.
The workshop introduced participants to the concept of innovation to help them understand entrepreneurship, social innovation and peace-building whilst sharing best practices of working with young in Solomon Islands and in the Pacific.
“I am happy to be here in Honiara to train these youths,” facilitator Ms Kelin Linka told Solomon Star in an interview.
Mr Linka is from the UNDP Youth Economic Empowerment Unit from the Bangkok Asia-Pacific Hub Office.
She said youths are a powerful age group in any nation and she was only here to train them to be innovative.
Mr Linka said during the training she noticed that innovation is not something new in Solomon Islands.
“Solomon Islands is a country with a high youth population and increasing youth entrepreneurship. People here are innovative and by being innovative people can address problems and try out new concepts. Innovation is not all about technology.”
She said the training was held in preparation for a National Innovation Summit in October 2017.
It aims to help strengthen the capacities of young leaders to design and implement ideas and business models for social impact in their communities.
UNPBF is supporting national stakeholders to sustain peace by creating an inclusive space for dialogues, supporting implementation of Solomon Islands national peace policies and engaging women and youth in peace activities implemented jointly by UNDP and UN Women Solomon Islands, in close collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation & Peace, and Ministry of Women, Youth, Children & Family Affairs.
Two of the workshop participants, Danny Kakadi and Manna Levo said they were happy with the training.
“We learned a lot during the training. We looked at innovative ideas and how we could utilise them to help ourselves without relying on other organisations and the government to support us.
“We- the youths of our country have many innovative ideas but have not utilised them and hopefully those of us who attend the workshop will materialise our ideas to earn a living.
By LESLEY SANGA
