A website will be set up to allow youth from across the African continent to communicate with each other.

Thirty-nine youth ambassadors from 13 African countries agreed at a conference in Mpumalanga last week to a three-year plan to establish the website.

The website will be part of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

"The website will contain information about study opportunities in different countries, information about the different cultures and religions, and skills development," said content co-ordinator of the NEPAD e-Africa Youth Commission, Sandy Malapile.

The website programme will be linked to NEPAD's e-school programme, which was introduced in 2003 at the African Economic Summit in Durban.

The e-school programme aims to provide computers and internet connections to all high schools in NEPAD countries within five years, and at all primary schools within ten years. An estimated 600 000 schools are expected to benefit.

"This link will make sure that the poor are not neglected, otherwise it would defeat the programme's entire purpose," said Ms Malapile. The week-long conference started with a visit to the Hector Peterson memorial in Soweto, before serious discussions started in Badplaas.

Delegates discussed issues affecting the youth and how to strengthen the relationships between them and their governments to increase their role in development.

"Delegates must now go back to their countries and speak with their governments about how they can implement the programme in their own countries," said Ms Malapile.

Toyin Njoku, a representative of the Nigerian delegation, said the NEPAD programmes would assist the youth in her country.

"We need to keep the youth involved and off the streets.

"The sky is the limit for the youth in our country, especially those who have joined the information technology field," she said.

Meanwhile, 500 youth from all nine provinces in South Africa said youth who received government funding should account for how they spend the money.

"Those who receive funding must show how they have assisted their peers to ensure that many benefit," said Mzi Makapela spokesperson for the National Youth Indaba.

This was the first ever National Youth Indaba and was held in Nelspruit last week.

Mr Makapela said government departments must work closely together to assist the youth.

"We want to see more partnerships between the department of health and education for instance. This is vital in getting together a holistic programme of action," he said.

The indaba was officially opened by health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

She said that apart from the learnership programme, her department would engage different stakeholders like the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the Youth Commission to address unemployment.

Mr Makapela said delegates had been tasked to work closely with their provincial health departments and local municipalities to improve the lives of the youth.

"All the progress and failures we will make, will be addressed next year when we convene again," he said.