By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, Aug. 13, GNA – Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister on Monday advised young people to appreciate the Free Senior High School (FSHS) and learn hard to achieve high academic laurels and build a better, prosperous and secure future.
“Our parents sold their jewels and clothes to see us through education. We did not find it easy at all to get to where we are now. But you are lucky, and you must be grateful to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the FSHS,” she stated.
The Regional Minister gave the advice when addressing some young people at a forum to mark the 2024 celebration of the International Youth Day (IYD) in Sunyani on the theme “Accelerating Green Economy and Adolescent Wellbeing: Promoting Youth Digital Pathway for Sustainable Development.”
Madam Owusu-Banahene indicated that with the implementation of the FSHS and STEM education, tailored with quality infrastructure which had made school environments friendlier for learning, the youth had no excuse or justification to fail in life.
Activista, a youth-led movement, jointly with the Young Urban Women Movement (YUWM), the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament, and the National Youth Authority organized the forum with funding from ActionAid Ghana (AAG), a non-government organisation.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation by the World Conference of Ministers of Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared IYD.
Since then, the Day has been observed annually to serve as a platform to shed light on youth issues globally and to celebrate the immense potential of the youth as vital partners in today’s ever-evolving society.
Mad Owusu-Banahene said: “We have suffered a lot, and all those things fortified us. We had to rely on lanterns for night studies and even to get kerosene to power the lanterns was a problem. However, President Akufo-Addo has made accessing education easier for you.”
She explained that the government had made significant progress in the nation to achieve set targets for the 17 goals of the United Nations Sustainable Goals (SDGs), saying the implementation of the FSHS was part of such efforts.
Besides, the Regional Minister said the Green Ghana initiative which had so far planted more than 20 million trees with a survival rate pegging around 80 per cent was also an effort to arrest deforestation and mitigate climate change.
Madam Owusu-Banahene advised the youth against lawlessness, easy life, alcoholism and substance abuse as well as pre-marital sexual practices that could ruin their future.
Miss Juliet Appiah, the Chairperson of the YUWM, underscored the need to inspire and empower young individuals to embrace technological advancements, adapt to change, and drive transformation in the rapidly evolving world.
That would help foster a community that encouraged growth, learning, and collaboration among the youth, highlighting their pivotal role in shaping the future.
Ms Appiah observed that the world was witnessing more frequent and severe weather events and that the changes in the climatic conditions over the years had influenced their way of life and the livelihoods of the youth.
“Many young people are unemployed and have limited access to economic opportunities due to lack or inadequate vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
As young people, we do not have access to adequate information relating to diet, physical activity, substance use, well-being and sexual activities”, she stated, worrying that poor health during adolescence had long-term consequences, including increased risk of chronic diseases, mental health disorders, reduced educational and economic opportunities.
Mr Kwame Afram Denkyira, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Manager of the AAG, said the shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world remained critical not only for responding to the global climate crisis but also for achieving the SDGs.
GNA