Two bike riders from Cape Town arrive in Ghana

Accra, May 22, GNA - Two young men Jilt van Schayik and Teun Meulepas who are undertaking a bicycle trip from Amsterdam to Cape Town arrived in Ghana to highlight the need for youth participation in the post-2015 development agenda.

The mission of Jilt and Teun is to picture the post-2015 agenda from a different perspective that focuses on the priorities of young men and women at the grassroots level and their vision of the world in 2030.

The team in Ghana organised two special events in Accra in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the University of Ghana Students Representative Council.

The team together with a host of students from the University of Ghana undertook a fun-filled and awareness-raising bicycle tour around the campus to promote green and healthy living.

They also took part in an interactive debate about the 'World We Want', focusing on access to higher education and the issue of youth employment.

The team engaged with the youth in Cape Coast, where young Ghanaians ranked education, better job opportunities and a better health care system as their priorities.

Briefing the media, Mr Van Schayik said the team is undertaking the trip because they want to connect with young people on the ground, to share stories and to inspire one another to make a change for the 'world we want'.

Van Schayik believes there is a gap between international policymakers and the everyday lives of young people at grassroots level.

In his view, the post-2015 development agenda is too far removed from everyday experience. 'The aim of this ambitious project is to connect young people, share our stories and inspire one another to make a difference in this world. We want to give young people a voice,' he said.

He said during the ride through two continents-Europe and Africa- and 21 countries the team would want to connect, to share and to inspire young people, men and women, present and future.

He said they had so far spoken to the future leaders of Africa, to the poorest of the poor, as well as to everything in between.

Mr Meulepas said while the new post-2015 development agenda is being shaped at the UN headquarters in New York by policy makers 'we believe that young people, who make up more than a quarter of the world's population and women should be at the centre of such an agenda'.

A crucial element of the project is the appointment of youth ambassadors in each of the participating countries.

The youth ambassadors would receive ownership over the project in their countries that provide them with the opportunity to champion their vision for a better world.

Present at the briefing was Abena Benewaa Fosu, the Ghanaian Youth Ambassador for Building Bridges.

GNA