The National Youth Authority (NYA) has committed 7 hours of community service to its mission of igniting Ghanaian youth with a spirit of selflessness, commemorating the 2023 International Volunteer Day.
On Wednesday, December 6, staff from the Authority’s Head Office offered voluntary services comprising teaching, mentorship and tree planting to the Rev. Thomas Clegg Junior High School and the Kaneshie 3 Basic Schools in Accra.
Within this period, students were reintroduced to various topics in the Character Development, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and Creative Arts disciplines, forming a significant part of their revision preparations ahead of the end-of-term examinations.
Beyond that, the interaction provided a platform to increase awareness about the Authority’s existence and mandate, and offered the students an opportunity to share their challenges with management.
The exercise commences NYA’s one-week #IVolunteer nationwide campaign, under the theme “Empowering Communities, Enriching Lives: Together We Volunteer”.
The campaign forms part of government’s National Youth Volunteers Programme (NYVP), a flagship programme of the NYA geared towards evoking the spirit of volunteerism, civic responsibility and rekindling the spirit of nationalism in Ghana’s youth.
Beneficiaries from the involved schools said they benefitted significantly from the exercise. According to them, #IVolunteer “has taught us the value of patriotism” within the context of national development.
JHS 1 pupil of Rev. Thomas Clegg, Josephine Jenefis Quaye added: “Personally, I believe that through the #IVolunteer campaign, we [Ghanaians] can come together to combat the spread of diseases and offer better education to the less privileged.”
The #IVolunteer campaign will end on Saturday, December 9. Before then, the Authority will organise health education programs, youth mentorship programs, and blood donation drives across its district offices.
Additionally, a platform will be created to facilitate collaborative brainstorming sessions between selected volunteering institutions, offering them a chance to exchange ideas germane to the concept of volunteerism.
Young people across the country are encouraged to actively participate in creating a digital tapestry of their participation by sharing photos and videos of their volunteering experiences in their individual communities on all social media platforms.
By the end of the celebration, the Authority seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of volunteerism among Ghanaian youth, enhance community development, and generate innovative ideas for future volunteerism initiatives.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
