KABUL - Hundreds of Afghan youth from different parts of the country are showcasing their new communication skills and voicing concerns about critical social and national issues.

The festival, which started on Sunday, is being held at various locations in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Heart and Mazar-e-Sharif and provides a forum for young people to show some of the work they have produced during a five-month multi-media and creative workshop organized by Internews.

“Around 1,500 young Afghans were trained on digital photography, videography, graffiti art, cartoon drawing and skateboarding,” said Charmaine Anderson, Deputy Chief of Party, Internews at the inauguration of week-long festival “Gup-e-Jawan” or “Voices of the Youth”.

The training stemmed from the idea that young Afghans, which make up 68 per cent of Afghanistan’s population, were marginalized and lacked opportunities to speak out about their hopes and concerns, said Indu Nepal, Youth Festival Director of Internews.

“We are amazed at the kind of social issues young people touched upon such as child labour, lack of drinking water, women’s marginalization and lack of freedom. This shows the level of social consciousness in the youths,” she said.

Malalai Heerawi, a female participant from Kandahar, has been taking photographs through her burka in Kandahar, “Although the movement and activities of women are restricted in Kandahar but the newly learned skills of photography enabled me to take picture of activities of life in Kandahar through my burka and show to the rest of the world.”

Another participant, Mukhtar Wafaey from Balkh province, said the newly learned skills would allow him to find a job in media organizations. “If Afghan youths get job opportunities in Afghanistan, they won’t travel illegally on the dangerous routes to get to other countries at the risk of their life for their future,” he added.

By UNAMA Kabul