Kumasi, Jan. 24, GNA – The National Youth Authority (NYA), is set to recruit 100,000 young Ghanaians as volunteers as part of initiatives to formalize the activities of youth volunteer groups in the country.
It is aimed at helping the youth to contribute their quota to national development through volunteerism in the areas of infrastructural development, health and wellbeing, education, and environmental protection.
Mr Pius Enam Hadzide Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NYA, announced this when he led a delegation of NYA management to pay a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at Manhyia Palace, in Kumasi.
The visit was to seek the support of the Asantehene, for the Authority’s impending launch of one of its flagship programmes, the National Youth Volunteer Programme (NYVP), which would be launched in the coming months.
The CEO, briefing the Asantehene on the rationale and expected outcomes of the programme, said the NYVP was expected to recruit and deploy 100,000 young people in the short term, to train and inculcate the spirit of volunteerism in them.
The CEO added that the programme will also contribute to meeting a number of targets in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030.
According to the CEO, the Authority had noticed a problem of lack of the spirit of volunteerism in the youth of the country, which was worrying.
“It’s regrettable in our view that, when your car breaks down on the road, and you ask for the assistance of a young person to help you push and park properly, many at times they end up demanding some financial consideration from you.
Because of financial benefits, many youth refrain from offering their assistance to others in solving problems they confront, which is a shame,” the CEO lamented.
To that end, Mr Hadzide said the Authority had decided to embark on NYVP to train the youth with the spirit of volunteerism to help contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.
He then pleaded and asked the Asantehene to host and chair the proposed launch of the programme at the Manhyia Palace, in Kumasi.
The Asantehene, in his remarks, welcomed the delegation and commended the team for conceiving such a noble and well-meaning initiative.
He touched on many benefits the country stood to gain from the successful implementation of the programme and pledged his full endorsement and support of it.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II encouraged the youth in the country to make themselves available to the NYVP initiative to help create jobs for them.
He advised the management of the NYA to do everything in their power to help develop the youth in the country.
The Asantehene said his secretariat would be working closely with the Authority in the planning of the launch to ensure its success.
Members of the delegation included Mrs Akosua Manu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO), Mr Nelson Owusu Ansah, DCEO, as well as some Directors and Unit Heads from the Authority’s head office.
GNA