Everyone knows Job in Rwanda. Well maybe not everyone but most young people who are job hunting know about this platform. Basically most young people are always on the loo out for jobs. Trying to make a dollar out of 16 cents.
Staying at home can be a bore. If you are a boy child you might be lucky to just chill and maybe get sent here and there to do some errands.
So you’re probably on social media or Jamming to that FIFA or car racing game. This story may be different for my sisters out there. You might end up doing all, if not most, of the housework.
According to Take Profit statistics, Rwanda’s unemployment rate fell to 18.1% in August 2022. The maximum rate was 22.1%, and the lowest rate was 1%.
According to Trading Economics, Rwanda’s unemployment rate fell to 18.10 percent in the third quarter of 2022, down from 23 percent in the second quarter of 2022. Their source is the Rwandan National Institute of Statistics.
So, does this mean that young people have jobs and that things are starting to take shape? How are these statistics derived? I’m wondering the same thing. For the time being, let us concentrate on the 18.1% who are unemployed.
How can they best get jobs? Is anything being done or a plan in place to ensure that young people in the hood are not idle? As we all know, idleness can lead to young people becoming involved in drug abuse or other sanctioned behaviors.
The answer is SDG8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all.
Basically, this goal screams JOB! EMPLOYMENT! This leads to chopping life. Yes, we know that young people want to end their lives. So, here are some objectives related to this goal:
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.
To bring it closer to home, organizations such as Tourism Inc. provide entrepreneurship training (starting a business and how you go about it).
I know what you’re thinking: ‘What happens after I’m trained?’ They do not stop there; they also inject funds into your business, ensuring that you have both the methods and the funds to complete the task. If you want to connect with them, go here.
Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people and people with disabilities, by 2030, as well as equal pay for equal work.
One of the biggest setbacks is the difference in salaries between females and males who are in the same potion. Worse off, people with disabilities are not paid equally but they do the job just as well. The Africa we want has equality in salaries no matter what gender, age or bodily abilities.
So, what can be done in the meantime to ensure that, as 2030 approaches, everything is in place for young people to find work? As is customary, the first port of call is to spread the word. There is strength in numbers, and having more hands on deck will benefit us. Spread the word and make this known throughout Rwanda!
There are some actions we can take in our everyday lives to help achieve SDG 8 and promote decent work and economic growth.
Report any form of discrimination in the workplace or during the hiring process, as well as poor working conditions, child labor, and forced labor.
Small and local businesses should be supported. Include sustainable tourism alternatives in your travel plans. Help to protect the environment by conserving energy, using fewer chemicals, recycling properly, consuming less, and so on.
