YOUTH CONTRIBUTION TO NATION BUILDING THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM AND PATRIOTISM

There is no denying the fact that resources, especially financial ought to be available if any volunteerism of any sort must work successful. Even though in volunteerism, those who take part are not expected to be paid but it is equally true that they must be given some sort of allowance to sustain them in terms of feeding, lodging and transportation during the volunteerism period.

 Youth in voluntary service

As part of a series of articles that looks at the role young people and for that matter the youth can play in nation building. Today’s article will take a cursory look at how the youth of mother Ghana  can contribute significantly to nation building through volunteerism and patriotism. Two key ingredients essential to nation building.

Indeed, Volunteerism is used globally as a tool for developing active citizens, fostering national cohesion, and creating opportunities for skills development and application among the young people. There is the need to make volunteerism attractive to young people and inspire patriotism to contribute to building mother Ghana.

Indeed, if there is any group of people that are active, energetic, strong and filled with all the energy, it is the youth .but many of the times the potential, skills or this exceptional and much talked about energy is not harnessed to promote development or growth.

I must say without any iota of doubt in my mind that one way this energy and skills and potential of the youth can be used effectively is through volunteerism.

Indeed, many will argue that there is already a sort of volunteerism in place for the youth of Ghana through the establishment of the national service scheme (NSS). A compulsory six months attachment or service to the nation after tertiary education. Yes, this to some extent enables majority of the youth to contribute their quota to the service and development of their nation but it has many challenges and loopholes which must be addressed. The kind of volunteerism am talking about should be holistic and not restricted to only the tertiary sector but at all levels of the educational spectrum. Now this article will explore how the youth can contribute to building our nation Ghana through volunteerism and volunteerism and what role the government can play to ensure that this becomes a reality.

To promote volunteerism and patriotism among the youth of Ghana. The Government  in collaboration with other stakeholders will have to take the following measures;

First and foremost, resources ought to be allocated to youth volunteerism .

Secondly, facilitate private sector support for youth volunteerism. The private sector must also be roped in any attempts to promote volunteerism and nation building. The private sector must be encouraged to support youth volunteerism initiatives financially and in kind. It is not a hidden fact that this sector has a huge financial muscle and potential that is capable of supporting youth volunteerism across the nation.

Also, efforts must be made by the government to include youth volunteerism in all levels of the educational programmes. The current situation in our nation is that only those who finish tertiary engage in the national service. This trend must be reversed to include all levels of the educational spectrum, those at the secondary level and other levels must be encouraged to take part in volunteering activities during the holidays, particularly the long vacs and the ministry of education must take charge to inculcate this as part of the curricula such that extra grade points or marks could be obtained by those who engage in such initiatives. 

Then again, inculcate the spirit of patriotism and volunteerism

Lastly, Develop leadership potentials among the youth through volunteerism.

THE ROLE OF GHANAIAN YOUTH IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE AT BANVIM,NORTHERN REGION

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Agriculture, is undoubtedly Ghana’s most important and dominant economic sector with huge potential,employing more than half the population on formal and informal basis  and accounting for almost half of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export earnings.The sector in this regard contributes significantly to reducing poverty and achieving economic growth.

The sector which is divided into five sub-sectors(cocoa, crops other than livestock, fisheries and forestry) though, it is bedeviled with a lot of challenges such as low productivity,little or no access to credit or financial resources and modern technologies  and  post harvest losses among others, it still contributes tremendously to economic and national development and growth.

This article, I must say will explore the role the youth of Ghana can play to reverse this seemingly unfortunate trend and what specific contribution they make in that regard.

Indeed, it is not a hidden fact that when agriculture is mentioned, many of today’s youth shy away from it, obviously because of reasons best known to them. Indeed, many are those who attribute this profession to the illiterates and the downtrodden in society. They do not see it as a job for the graduate and do not think that by their actions they are contributing negatively to the reduction in production of food for the sustenance of the Ghanaian people and the economy.

 Arguably, agriculture provides for a majority of Ghana’s population. Increased productivity in agriculture ensures food security and contributes immensely to the health and well-being of the people.

My question is what we do as a country to reverse this seemingly threatening attitude of the youth to agriculture? What do we do to encourage them to engage in agriculture?

 Youth using irrigation to enhance agric production

In an interview with Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Exhibition Director of the National food and Agric show(FAGRO) on what can be done to encourage the youth to develop interest in agriculture  she indicated “that she strongly believes that there is the need to develop strong strategic interventions and approaches that will attract the youth to this sector, particularly youth in informal sector, the provision of resources for the participation of the youth in modern agriculture she said  should be a priority of the government and that the youth should take advantage of this where necessary to promote agriculture”

Indeed, I absolutely agree with her on the views expressed above. If as a nation we want the youth to be active participants in agriculture, then we must make it a national priority by investing hugely, in the provision of significant resources that will make it easier for them to participate. This should not be treated lightly at all, because the business of agriculture to a larger extent is capital intensive and one needs to have resource like land, equipments, fertilizers and access to water among others to ensure that he or she can be successful in such a venture.

We must as a nation, equally promote the participation of the youth in modern agriculture as a viable career opportunity for the youth and as economic and business option. The time where we promote the white color jobs as the only lucrative jobs available to the detriment of agricultural jobs should be a thing of the past. We must let the youth know that agriculture pays and really pays well. People who decide to pursue agriculture at the secondary, college and university levels as a course and career path must be given special incentives to encourage them and others to walk that path.

Then again, it is important to encourage people who are successful or people who make giant strides in agriculture to give open or public testimony of how agriculture is rewarding. This I strongly believe will serve as an antidote to encourage the youth to take up careers in agriculture.

It is my candid opinion that if efforts are not put in place to promote agriculture among the youth. The agricultural sector will be incapable of safeguarding income, employment and food supply and therefore unable to contribute in reducing poverty among the rural population thereby falling short of its current potential.

It is an undenying fact,that agriculture consitute a central objective of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS),whose main goal is to make Ghana become a middle income country by 2015.This dream is however a mirage than a reality given our current circumstances. For me however,I am highly optimistic that this strategy can be achieved through a vibrant,modernized and competitive agriculture industry of which the youth of Ghana have a centre role to play in ensuring that Ghana get positive results from this growing industry.

By Steve Kubate Salifu, the writer is a freelance Journalist and the Director of Media Relations of IHAV foundation.

s.ksteve2020@gmail.com