
Pius Enam Hadzide, NYA CEO, unveils a newly completed school for Abume D/A

The National Youth Authority (NYA) says the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is creating opportunities for, and restoring hope in the teeming youth of the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NYA, Pius Enam Hadzide, said this is manifest of the National Youth Volunteers Programme (NYVP), which is igniting the spirit of selflessness and volunteerism among Ghanaians towards national development.
He said this yesterday during the commissioning and handing over ceremony of the newly completed Abume D/A Primary School in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
Mr Enam Hadzide noted that the inspiring leadership by the NPP administration is challenging the Ghanaian youth to take opportunity of the unfolding initiatives to help chart a new path that spurs development.
Volunteerism
He observed that while Ghana is still a developing country, it can boast of people with knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, stressing that “we should not wait for volunteers to come from other countries to do what we have the capacity to do ourselves.”
He explained the programme, since its inception last year, is helping to rekindle patriotism, discipline and civic responsibility among the youth as government provides relevant frameworks for streamlining volunteerism activities.
Young Ghanaians, he said, as a result of the programme, are contributing their quota to national development by fixing problems in their communities right to the national level.
Based on this, he stressed, “volunteerism can contribute as much as 2.4 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.”
The NYVP
He said the NYVP is empowering about 100,000 young Ghanaians to have the opportunity to volunteer in areas of Agriculture, Education, Health, Afforestation, Community Self-Help Programme, Gender Mainstreaming, among other modules.
Overall, he said, the Akufo-Addo government had shown commitment to youth development, particularly with the level of commitment underpinning the NYVP initiative, which is ultimately aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship, employment, and volunteerism.
Touching on the rehabilitation of the new Abume D/A Primary School, he said it is the product of joint effort between the Authority, under NYVP, and the District Assembly to significantly the enhance the quality of education in the community.
He added that it also falls on the education module, explaining that it would be used to address the gaps in the educational system by dispatching volunteers to assist hardworking teachers in under-served areas “and post those who are qualified to substantive classes to fill gaps in relevant subject areas”.
The NYA CEO also awarded certificates to the volunteers for the selfless and committed work towards the school’s completion. He also donated laptops, marker boards and other teaching and learning materials to enhance academic work.
Appeal
Mr Enam Hadzide appealed to Corporate Ghana and the country’s development partners to throw their weight behind the NYVP and support the implementation and expansion of the programme.
“We cannot bemoan the decline in the values of our society and stand idle at this seminal moment when we are called to do something about it,” he said.
According to him, the citizenry must understand that, like a complex machine, the different processes and function of diverse constituent parts all work for a desired common outcome.
“Therefore, while our volunteers go into the field to build our infrastructure, educate our children and boost our yields, it is up to us to provide the necessary financial support, so that together we can achieve that common goal of national development,” he stated.
Appreciation
For her part, the Head teacher of the Abume D/A Primary School, Edith Nyawuame, appreciated the efforts of the NYA CEO. She urged residents of the community to inculcate an attitude for owning and maintaining state infrastructure and facilities to help elongate their expected lifespan.
“As people of Abume, we need to protect the equipment and this new school building that provides a service to the citizenry. We have to change our attitude and rather jealously guard the facility that had been provided at great cost to serve the larger community,” she insisted.