2007年VOA标准英语-Joblessness Continues to Plague African Youth

By Phuong Tran
Nouadhibou, Mauritania
12 August 2007

According to U.N. estimates, young people account for more than 60-percent of the African population. The continent also has some of the world's highest unemployment rates, forcing thousands on deadly sea crossings to look for jobs in nearby Europe. As the United Nations commemorates¹ International Youth Day, governments continue their struggle to employ African youths. A recent U.N. youth employment study says there is still a long way to go. Phuong Tran has more for VOA from Nouadhibou, Mauritania.

Seven African countries have answered a U.N. request in 2002 to submit national youth employment plans. U.N. officials say a review earlier this year of those plans found them poorly researched and ineffective. The study concluded even though the governments are trying, no one is checking to see what programs work.

It also found that almost no one consulted youths to see what they need.

Lamine Daff

Lamine Daff is a 24-year-old Mauritanian music producer and clothing store owner. He says even though his businesses are doing well now, the start-up was almost impossible.

Daff says he had used all his savings² to care for his sick father, leaving him little money to invest. He says he received no help from the Mauritanian government for a loan. And if it were not for the cigarette company that sponsored his first concert, Daff says he would not have had money to open his clothing store.

Daff lives in Mauritania's port city of Nouadhibou. It is one of the closest African ports to Spain and has become a popular departure point for would-be migrants.

Daff says most his friends have tried to go to Spain in fishing boats from Nouadhibou where he lives. He adds most were fishermen and had not been paid in months.

Lamine Daff's store

Jude Aidoo, who heads the West Africa office of Youth Employment Network, an alliance of countries led by the United Nations, International Labor³ Organization and World Bank, says high youth unemployment is a tough problem.

"In West Africa we have large unemployed⁴ youth populations," said Aidoo. "So there are going to be young people for the next number of years. There is no magic recipe. It is not going to be a quick fix."

Since 2000, the Youth Employment Network has been working with governments, businesses and civil society to pay more attention to youth unemployment, which Aidoo says fuels illegal migration⁵.

He says youth unemployment is normally addressed by a country's Ministry⁶ of Youth and Sports, which Aidoo says is typically under funded and unable to handle such a vast problem.

"This is really just snowballing. As more people see that people are able to make it to the other side and send money back, they feel 'why not try it'," he added.

Spanish officials say some 13,000 migrants, mostly young men, reached the islands illegally by this time last year. In an effort to cut down these numbers, the Spanish government granted one-year work visas last January for some Sub-Saharan Africans to work legally in Spain.

They have also recently signed agreements with Mali, Mauritania, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau to train workers for future jobs in Spain.

This year, Spanish officials say surveillance and job programs have more than cut in half the number of illegal migrants who have made it to Spain.

Whether it is an African solution, or an international initiative, the Youth Employment Network's West Africa manager says the answer to solving Africa's youth unemployment requires more business and youth input⁷, as well as better collaboration⁸ between employment and youth-focused agencies.

Sitting in his clothing store, entrepreneur Daff says he wants to grow his business and hire other youths.

The entrepreneur says his dream is to be a cosmetics⁹ or clothing distributor for an American or European brand.

1 commemorates   

n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A tombstone is erected in memory of whoever it commemorates. 墓碑是为纪念它所纪念的人而建的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A tablet commemorates his patriotic activities. 碑文铭记他的爱国行动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

5 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

8 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

9 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。