The Association Mairie des Jeunes du Benin (AMJB) is an organization that works to involve young people in the development process. To this end, through the interview below, the president of the association Astérix GOUDEAGBE, Mayor of the Youth of Bohicon, Mandature 2020-2025, tells us regarding the National Seminar of Young Mayors of Benin (SENAJEMB) which will take place from September 1 to 4.
Present the Association Mairie des Jeunes du Benin.
The Association Mairie des Jeunes du Benin is an apolitical organization of a social nature and non-profit. It is made up of 77 mayors of young people from the 77 communes of Benin and created since 2018. The AMJB currently has more than 7,000 members spread over the different communes of Benin. We are a school organization that trains young people and awakens their interest in community development. We organize many activities throughout the national territory thanks to our decentralized system. In order to contribute to development, we carry out sanitation and awareness-raising activities, training workshops for jobs of the future and entrepreneurship, screening sessions, training of young people in SSRJ, the fight once morest VGB, good governance, democracy and many other things.
You are soon organizing the national seminar of the Young Mayors of Benin. What is the purpose of this seminar?
The National Seminar of Young Mayors of Benin (SENAJEMB) is an activity that we organize every year. The fifth edition of this seminar will take place from September 1 to 4, 2022. The objective of the seminar is to bring together the Mayors of young people from the 77 communes of Benin as well as various development actors to provide concrete solutions to a problem that undermines our society. We are organizing this seminar to consolidate our links, encourage sharing, define concrete and impactful actions for each municipality, learn and rejoice in community.
What will be the central theme this year?
As you know, the issue of youth empowerment has been in the air for some time now. This is normal because we cannot remain silent in the face of the situation of young people today. We cannot remain silent when we know that young people find it difficult to make ends meet following their studies. Actions are being taken at various levels to resolve the problem. But as young people, we are challenged. What will our contribution be? What can we do when we know that Benin is full of resources? This is what led us to choose the theme Mechanism for exploiting territorial wealth for the empowerment of young people: Role of Youth Town Halls.
Who are the participants in this seminar and how many participants do you expect?
This seminar is a great meeting which will bring together people of various orders. We are expecting 300 to 500 participants from the 12 departments of Benin. This meeting will bring together the Mayors of young people, collaborators, members of the Association Mairie des Jeunes du Benin (AMJB), political and administrative authorities, civil society actors, experts from different fields and religious dignitaries.
What is the participation of the central state in the success of this seminar?
The central state is already supporting the event through its decentralized structures. All authorities at various levels representing the central state are invited to participate in this seminar. We still have correspondence pending at some town halls and some ministries. We therefore take this opportunity to appeal to the authorities, humbly asking them to continue their actions in the promotion of juvenile actions.
A word to end this interview
Finally, I would like to thank the collaborators and all those who contribute directly or indirectly to the realization of this seminar. I thank all the authorities who agreed to accompany us. I would like to say a few words to the youth of which I am a part. I know the adversities you face, the stones that lie in your path, but I am still confident. Together we will be able to take up the challenge of empowering young people in Benin.
Interview by Anne-Marie AMENYITO (Coll)
