Young people make up one-third of Bangladesh’s population, and have tremendous potential to drive progress and contribute to social development. However, they often lack the resources, awareness and support needed to fulfill their potential as change-makers, with limited access to skill development opportunities beyond the standard curriculum.
Youth for SDG 6 is a youth platform launched in July 2019 by WaterAid, aiming to connect young people, build their capacity and ensure their role in Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation – which will enable them to engage in discussions, debate and solutions around water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in their communities.
The platform held its first youth orientation workshop in Rangpur on 18-19 October 2019, bringing together a talented and diverse group of around 80 young people from educational institutes across the district for a comprehensive orientation on WASH, campaigns, leadership and networking.
WaterAid is the secretariat of Youth for SDG 6 platform which is supported by a team of reputed and highly experienced professional advisory panel members from diverse backgrounds who strategically directs the platform. Two panel members – Mr. Syed Habib Anwar Pasha, Chairman and Assistant Professor of Eastern University and Mr. Sajid Amit, Country Director of Water.org and Director of MBA Programme ULAB, facilitated sessions at the workshop on leadership and campaigns.
The two-day workshop helped participants brainstorm innovative campaign ideas, develop campaign plans, map challenges and solutions, and explore their role as catalyst to bring change and realise SDG 6 targets. Participants left the workshop inspired to roll out their campaign plans, join with more youth in their institutions, and connect to local communities to help achieve SDG 6 through grassroots action.
As the secretariat of the platform, WaterAid believes that Youth for SDG 6 has the potential to revolutionise the way youth can contribute to the development, peace and stability in their communities, while developing valuable skills that will stay with them for a lifetime.