KUCHING: Angkatan Zaman Mansang (Azam) Sarawak will continue to provide a platform for youths in the state to participate in development programmes.

According to its general manager Rosalind Yang Misieng, Azam would be strengthening its role as the leading communicator for students to obtain added information and knowledge outside their campus.

“Most of our programmes are to expose students to the real world in addition to what they have studied,” Rosalind told The Borneo Post during the a youth entrepreneurship talk organised by Azam together with the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur at Four Points Hotel yesterday.

Participated by around 80 youths, the talk will provide youths a chance to mingle and create new business network among themselves.

The participants are students from universities and colleges and youths who have started their own business in modern fields.

“These are the young people with different business interests. Some are involved in selling extreme sports merchandise, crafts and video production,” she added.

Among the speakers were The Newcomm Global Group, INC president and CEO Lucie Newcomb who is a guest at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) entrepreneurship development unit administrative officer Abdul Razak Abdul Rahim and Blankskript Clothing managing director Feroz Hayat.

Rosalind said in the past 20 years, Azam had partnered the US Embassy in organising activities for youths and school students.

She said the US Embassy gave small grants to fund programmes, especially in rural areas.

“Our relationship goes way back, besides research grants, we are also fortunate to participate in study visits in the USA on subjects such as non-governmental organisation (NGO) management,” she added.