By Joseph Admin Opio
Okadibong President
Teso is home to a powerful generation: the Okadibong youth, aged 15–40. They are the largest group in the region, yet they face massive unemployment, limited opportunities, and no clear future. While elders continue to benefit from programs and politics, the youth remain ignored and sidelined.
As the government plans restocking initiatives, these young people must be the first to benefit. This is restocking, not compensation. Programs should focus on building future livelihoods, not giving small allowances. Institutions like the Iteso Cultural Union or other small compensation groups should be avoided—they cannot deliver meaningful impact to the youth.
Providing cows to the Okadibong youth is not a handout—it is a strategic investment. These resources can give them a foundation to start farms, create businesses, and generate jobs, turning despair into productivity.
Ignoring them risks wasting Teso’s greatest asset. A generation without resources is a generation without hope. The Okadibong youth are ready to work, innovate, and shape the future—but only if government support reaches them first.
Elders can continue to pursue compensation matters in court to recover what they lost, while restocking goes directly to the Okadibong youth.
Cows, skills, and opportunities must go to the youth who need them most. Anything less is a lost opportunity for the region and a failure to secure its future.
