Ghana YMCA youth building civic competence among young people
The trafficking of children and women came under the spotlight on International Youth Day when Ghana YMCA youth marched through the streets of Mpraeso District to present a statement to government to continue to step up the efforts at preventing the recent increase in trafficking.
Just a week previously, the police had saved 600 children between the ages of 2 and 15 years from being trafficked within Ghana, mainly from rural to urban centres.
The 150 YMCA youth from seven regions in Ghana were joined by youth from Youth Challenge International in Canada and CVJM in Germany. They flashed red cards during the statement to symbolise the need for immediate drastic measures to be taken on the issue of child and women trafficking which is now on the rise in Ghana.
The day also coincided with the launch of the national youth policy. The YMCA march was part of the annual Youth Convention of the Ghana YMCA, held from 11-15 August, which focused on building the civic competence of youth.
The Deputy Regional Minister Hon. Baba Jamal in a statement read by the District Chief Executive of Mpraeso South, District Hon. Joseph Omari,commended the YMCA for their work and said that the mission of the YMCA is in line with the plans of the government for the youth of Ghana.
He applauded Ghana YMCA for its hostel facilities which contribute to the tourism sector, the third highest income generating sector in Ghana’s economy. He asked that the YMCA links up with his office so they can support some of YMCA’s projects.
Newly elected President of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs, Mr. James Ekow Rhule highlighted the importance of focusing on youth in empowering young citizens for future leadership. In his statement, he quoted the preamble from the African Youth Charter of the African Union “…that Africa’s greatest resource is its youthful population and that through their active and full participation; Africans can surmount the difficulties that lie ahead”.
This year’s delegates were privileged to have fraternal greetings from the newly elected President of the World Alliance of YMCAs, Mr. Ken Colloton. In a speech read on his behalf, he said that he was inspired by the dynamic energy of the youth of the Ghana YMCA and that their commitment and passion for addressing Ghana’s challenges give him renewed hope for the future of the African and global YMCA movement.
He stated …“As I humbly begin my journey as President of the World Alliance of YMCAs, I am comforted in knowing that I can count on highly motivated volunteer leaders such as you and our very capable staff to carry the YMCA mission into a new era”. He urged participants to continue building their skills as community leaders.
Workshops focused on civic engagement and servant leadership, empowerment tools, environmental health, investment and entrepreneurship, and volunteerism. Through this, participants were challenged to take up the principle of community building in their quest to become servant leaders and a people of change.
In a particularly interesting session on civic engagement, we were divided into groups based on the days we were born and then looked at the traits specific to our birth days. This was very pertinent for us as Ghana youth, as in our country we place much value on this, and many of us are named after the day we were born.
Juliet Nana Ama Baafi said, “I am born on a Saturday – Ama for women – and our traits are calmness and our gift is to bring peace to troubled waters. So the people in my group were challenged to use this, and to try to ensure peace in any misunderstanding in our communities.”
By: Harold Obeng-Yeboah, Ghana YMCA Youth President
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