Youth Empowerment: A Necessary Process To Generate Leaders
As we hear the word youth; certain descriptions come to our mind like energy, youth, activeness, zeal, anger, innovation, progress, enthusiasm, etc. Youth means freshness and is a source of new ideas and discoveries. We have to help them excel in their life and not only achieve the desired goals but also enable them to become a responsible person. If they give their energy a proper channel, they can do wonders.
What do you mean by empowerment?
Empowerment is the attempt to make the people self-dependent or self-reliant. Youth empowerment is the process in which it encourages the children and youth to take charge of their life. It involves accessing their current situation, and then taking action to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness and bring a transformation in their beliefs, attitudes and values. Overall, it aims at improving the quality of life and makes life worth living.
Youth Empowerment means letting young people recognize their talent, passion, become leaders and subsequently learn and develop from mistakes. The youth empowerment programs also aim at helping the youth who have been employed for a long time and are age 15-24. It sits in recognition, skill development and sustainable employment subsequently.
A successful counselor is one who defines youth problems in two different topics. He considers the youth separate from their problem. This enables him to view them as youth facing a problem rather than a youth himself a problem.
What can you expect from a youth counselor?
Youth empowerment involves
Encouraging their self-confidence
Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. Their voice must be given a boost and their ideas must be appreciated. Some people think youth is immature to decide, so it does not allow them to come up and speak. But this is wrong. Rather, we must try to provide them a platform and a powerful hand to support so they can make a huge jump to achieve their goals.
For example, a teen may be too young to vote in elections. But that doesn’t mean that he cannot get involved in any upcoming election. We should take their help in preparing the manifestos and other works related to action.
Supporting their ideas and actions
A teen is seriously a hub of talent. The only thing is that we need to recognize that talent and give proper direction to it. They fill their minds with so many new ideas which should not be discouraged.
Invest some time to listen to their ideas and convert them into a workable form. Permit them to pursue what they want. Let them follow their beliefs and perspectives. Let them struggle and come up with solutions themselves This will boost their confidence and is the basic step to empower the youth.
Mistakes are apart from life. Trying and coming up short is the basic part of empowerment if the teen has committed a mistake that does not mean he will be discouraged and you won’t let him come in front. Rather teach him to overcome failures, learn from the mistakes, and come up even brighter than before.
Every teen has its own set of interests. You must not judge them and let them be free to go ahead with their choice. Letting them chase their dreams will make them self-reliant and bold.
Not all kids are able or willing to change the world. However, by supporting them as they explore what they can do, you may help them to become empowered adults who are more confident in their abilities to get involved.
Facilitating empowerment activities:
If a child is interested in any task, let him join the particular organization. Seek to join organizations that encourage youth empowerment by giving them chances of leadership and decision making.
Empowerment is going beyond contemporary limits and setting new boundaries. It means coming out of the comfort zone and working to achieve what will give teen satisfaction to the fullest.
If you’re overseeing an existing youth empowerment group or are setting up a new one, it can be tempting to put the adults in charge and have the kids “watch and learn.” Part of empowerment is giving kid’s actual power, however. Avoid the trap of “adultism” and give younger people a chance to make actual leadership decisions.
How can youth counselling help in youth empowerment?
Counseling sessions help the teens to express their views, which otherwise they didn’t say due to fear or hesitation. Words are very powerful and when the teen is fully aware of his feelings and desires, he can move in that direction.
Counseling gives the strength to fight and stand up again after failures. Mistakes and problems are inevitable. But the courage and necessary boldness along with the positive attitude help the teen generate even more energy and work.
Awareness and guidance are necessary to upgrade the outlook of the youth. The standard of living and attitude to perceive things and situations has to be upgraded. Intellectual and rational discussions of youth can do this counseling.
Counselors are also mental health professionals who know how to handle teens of varied nature and guide them to overcome their transition period dilemmas.
Conclusion
Your job is to give them constant support and to counsel them when they request it. Thus, in all this, the biggest role is youth counselling. Empowerment can only be successful under proper guidance and motivation. Otherwise, it may end with blunders too. Thus, youth counseling has to be done continuously and in all aspects of the life of the teen. A teen is like soft sand; it will take the shape of the mould in whichever you put it.
