Why do you think that it’s important to recognise National youth day and what will you be doing on the day?
It is important to recognise youth day because youth play an important role in the future of Zambia. They are at the forefront of change in Zambia. I will be home on youth day but think it’s important for people to recognise the day and think about the future.  

You are involved in a lot of TTF support groups and act as a teen mentor – why do you feel it is important for you to be involved in this way – what drives you to want to be involved?
I want to help others who have lost hope, I want them to have hope and acknowledge their status in a positive way. I want to share stories and experiences as I think this can really help young people and children who are HIV+.

I like working with TTF because it’s a great opportunity to meet so many people and make some really good friends. 

What do you see as the different struggles for young women vs that of young men?
Prostitution is an issue for women. It is much easier for men to find casual work and employment than women. Women find themselves having not many options so have to turn to prostitution to make money and provide for their families and make money for food.

Also early marriages are an issue for women. Young women and girls often don’t have a choice whether they get married because of the environment in which they are living in pushes them to early marriage either for stability or because their family want them to.

Oh and peer pressure! Peer pressure is also a major issue for young people in Lusaka, leading to people doing things they don’t always want to.

If you could have any job in the world in the future  – what would it be and why?
I would like to be a doctor – because I want to help people!

Why do you think that it’s important to recognise National youth day and what will you be doing on the day?
It is important that young people are given time to interact with each other. It will give an opportunity for young people to act like young people and play games, and have fun, spend time with their friends.
 
What are some of the main issues that you face as a young man in Zambia?
One of the issues facing young people is school drop outs and lack of employment for those who have finished school. There are very few jobs for individuals in my community which leaves people with a lot of time on their hands.

TTF support youth through our Free clinic and through our support groups – how else would you like to see TTF supporting youth like yourself to have stable and sustainable futures? 
TTF should continue to support youth through Clinic and hopefully one day have a much larger facility to support even more people. 

You live in one of the very urban compounds in Lusaka – what are some of the biggest issues for youth in the compounds around where you live? What needs to be done to address these issues? 
Crime, and drug and alcohol abuse are some of the biggest issues I see on a day to day basis. Communities need to be sensitised on drug and alcohol misuse to address this problem. There are not any police around  where I live – more police need to support our communities. They only sometimes come for big crimes but if you get burgled you don't have any support.  
 

If you could wish for one thing for yourself, to have a stable and sustainable future, what would it be and why? 
Sponsorship to help me in my education, to be trained in medical care either to be a doctor or a clinical officer, then I can help others in my community.