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E OHO youth project gets government funding

Rotorua District Council has received $65,000 from Ministry of Youth Development to implement 'E OHO', a programme designed to focus on nurturing young people's potential.

Youth Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced the recipients of the Central North Island Youth Development Partnership Fund at the council Civic Centre today [20 June].

The E OHO project, a partnership of RDC and Te Waiariki Purea Trust, aims to equip 30 young people from Fordlands, Koutu and Western Heights with skills, qualifications and experiences to actively contribute to their communities.

The 2007 Rotorua District Council Youth Policy Review revealed that young people surveyed from these three areas identified the need for more activities and places to go in their respective communities.

RDC youth officer, Rob Blaikie, says he is pleased that central government has shown it values local initiatives.

"These communities have some of the greatest needs in our city. It's about getting their young people involved and having a say in decisions that affect them, their family, their community, and their country, not only now, but in the future."

Young people will lead the entire project, with the guidance of a project mentor, and receive specialised training from experts in various skills, including leadership, consulting and working with communities, working through funding and resource consent processes, and planning projects that meet their community's needs.

The Youth Development Partnership Fund provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Youth Development, territorial authorities and young people to work together to provide new and innovative local youth development projects.