By Christine Davis - Africa Alliance of YMCAs' volunteer
African-wide youth development organisation, the Africa Alliance of YMCAs' (AAYMCA), has teamed up with popular Ghanaian musician Chemphe (pronounced Chem-fe), to launch their new From Subject 2 Citizen (4rmS2C) social media initiative.
The S2C initiative stands as one of the AAYMCAs' most ambitious youth development projects, with activities designed to ensure youth have the skills and confidence to influence decision-makers to make positive changes for young people at community, country or continental level.
The overall purpose of the project is to change the positioning of African youth from being subject to various forms of control, manipulation and abuse, to being active citizens and agents of change in their communities.
Chemphe, an award winning RnB singer, song writer, producer and creator of the Urban Life music brand from a fusion of RnB vocals and the grooves of Ghana, will work closely with youth from 12 African countries at a workshop to be held on 3-4 May in Accra, Ghana. Together they will develop a song chorus as a means of communicating the S2C message of youth civic competence which will be posted onto YouTube.
As Gil Harper, Executive Secretary for the AAYMCA explains, “Using song and social media to popularise S2C will provide these youth with the platform to communicate their vision, concerns and ideas to an international audience”.
For Chemphe, “The concept is laudable and has the potential of shaping the thinking and attitude of African youth for the better. This has been one of my dreams ever since I started music. I know with my involvement, I will be a part of the process to make African youth stand up, work hard and be very successful where ever they find themselves”.
Music was a crucial part of Chemphe’s youth but he openly acknowledges the difficulty the youth face in entering the musical arena, “There is a lot of space for Africa’s youth to enter music but it’s quite difficult because our continent has the poorest investment in music which in turn makes it hard for the youth to be successful. With determination from Africa’s youth, we can work hard and be where we want to be”.
At the heart of this project is the potential for the S2C song, through its messages, to bridge boundaries between cultures and peoples. Chemphe’s pride in the power of his craft and the possibilities it presents as a tool of social cohesion is clear, “Since music is one of the major sources of information and inspiration, positive lyrics can reshape and rebuild our society and culture so the youth can have a deeper and clearer understanding of it”.
For more information on Chemphe’s music go to: www.youtube.com/user/chemphe
http://www.africaymca.org/
By: Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
You can’t enjoy a toffee in a wrapper... AIDS is brought by monkeys... sex with a virgin will cure you... AIDS has been around for a long time, and we are all going to die sometime anyway... it stands for American Idea of Discouraging Sex...
These are some of the stereotypes and myths still abounding, that the young peer educators in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, are debunking through their interaction with their friends, classmates and family.
The HIV prevalence rate has been steadily increasing in the Eastern Region, with the last official figures putting it at 4.5%, in comparison to the national official figure of 1.9%. Of concern is that 90% of new infections are in the 15-49 age bracket.
Daniel Ofosu, Eastern Regional Secretary, said the high prevalence rate can be attributed to many factors. “The towns in this area are more rural and there is a lack of education on HIV and AIDS, coupled with belief in myths. Further, the area is bordered by four other regions and there is much throughput in the area. Many people leave here and travel to Abidjan, in Côte d'Ivoire, to seek greener pastures, either coming back regularly to visit or returning after spending some time in the country. Côte d'Ivoire has the highest HIV prevalence rate in West Africa and we think this may be having a major impact on the increase of infection rates in the Eastern Region.”
The peer educator model is a central part of this national Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) programme, which is now in its fourth year and is funded by the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
School and tertiary education students are trained and supervised over a number of years before they graduate to become peer educators. In Koforidua alone, 700 peer educators have been trained and are active. A group of tertiary education youth and two peer educators shared some of their experiences.
“I used to be involved in certain... um... activities. This programme has helped me so much, as with proper knowledge, I have changed my behaviour. I know how to protect myself through using condoms. I have been working with about 150 of my peers, and I would say most of them have benefitted and have changed,” said Lucy Karamah.
Most of the students testified that they had little knowledge of HIV/AIDS before this programme and told of how it had benefited them, how their behaviour had changed, and the extent to which they are using this knowledge and personal change to encourage their peers to do likewise. One of the young women said she had now started taking control of all personal hygiene issues, such as not sharing razors.
Peer educator, Adams Prince, who is the national youth representative for the Eastern Region, told of a family intervention. He said he had visited a house where the father was very quiet throughout the discussions. But the next day, he asked Adams back and he had invited all his neighbours to come and be educated. “This man thought his daughter was going with boys but he did not know how to discuss this in the family. After my visit and discussion with them, his daughter came to him and admitted what she had been doing and said that now that she had knowledge, she was putting a stop to it. He was then able to talk to her.”
Angelina Mensah said, “I was dating a guy and he had three other girlfriends at the same time! Eventually I found out and when I quit him, I told him: ‘HIV/AIDS is real so you better start protecting yourself’.”
Gender power dynamics play a big role in their discussions and work with their peers. Mavis Gbedeme said that boys often say: “Why should I use a condom with you? Are you a street girl?”, making reference to prostitution.
Bismark Dzisah, said he often hears the phrase “you can’t enjoy a toffee in a wrapper”. But he also pointed out that through his work with the youth, he has realised that many young men simply do not know how to use condoms.
Joyce Dede explained, “Financial constraints make young girls and women vulnerable. They are sponsored by their boyfriends who pay for school fees.” In cases like this, these young women feel indebted to their boyfriends and unable to exert their want to practice safe sex. Joyce said that she has been working with one young woman for a while now and it is really difficult for her to change things in the relationship.
They were asked: if you were dating someone and wanted to have sex with them, but then found out the person was HIV-positive, would you still have sex with the person? Four out of 12 said ‘yes’ but definitely with protection. One person said it would depend on how much she loved the person. The other seven said ‘no’, with five saying they would remain friends, counsel or care for the person. Blessed Ohene, who is past national youth organiser for the Ghana YMCA and a peer educator, went as far as to say, “I would go with them to counselling to make the break-up easier.”
As a teacher, Blessed says he spearheads any HIV/AIDS campaign that happens at school. “I use every opportunity possible to speak to young people about HIV/AIDS – I even infuse it into my maths and science lessons!”
Caption: YMCA peer educators in Koforidua, Eastern Region of Ghana
By: Kwabena Nketia Addae, Development Secretary , Ghana YMCA
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, the YMCA Girls Vocational Training Centre in Ghana is as relevant now as when it was first established to meet a critical need in the market.
Ghana YMCA established various vocational and technical training centres some decades back in response to the high number of young people who were unable to further their education after completing basic education. This was either through their parents’ inability to pay for their education at a higher level or their inability to meet the academic grades for the next level.
Of particular concern was the large pool of unemployed young girls. Through the support of CVJM, the YMCA Girls Vocational Training Centre was thus established in 1989 to cater for these girls. Situated in Takoradi, the Centre provides young girls in the Shama Metropolitan Assembly in the Western Region of Ghana with the opportunity to gain employable skills in catering, dressing making, batik and interior decoration.
In the past years, demand for the services of the students trained in the school has increased. In 2006, according to a tracer study conducted by the school, 85% of the students that graduated were employed by the hospitality industry. Of this number, 65% are in hotels and 20% are self-employed. A further 6% went on to further their education whilst 3% travelled outside the country.
Vera Yalley, a 26-year-old former dressmaking student who graduated in 2003, said, “I am always delighted that I made the decision to enrol in the YMCA Girls Vocational School. It offered me the opportunity to be trained with equipment that is used in the field. It offered me the chance to design and sew with an eye for fine detail. Now as I am working on my own, I get contracts to sew school uniforms for pupils and this fetches me the needed funds I require to support my younger siblings in their education.”
Naana Beduaah, a 25-year-old former catering student, said, “Barely two months after completion of the YMCA Girls Vocational School in 2007, I was offered employment with Akroma Plaza in Takoradi. This is one of the biggest hospitality facilities in the Western Region. The salary I am receiving is helping me to save towards furthering my education. I am grateful to the school for the development it has brought into my life.”
A current second-year catering student, Judith Ansah, said “My hearts desire has been to establish a bridal enterprise where I organise weddings. One of the difficulties I had was how to bake cakes. The practical training I have received so far has enabled me to develop the skills required in baking cakes. I am now confident and able to go on industrial attachment during vacation with organisations that organise weddings. I am able to bake cakes for my friends during their birthdays.”
Ghana Technical and Vocational Training Centres are all modulated under the National Vocational and Technical Institute (NVTI) of the Ministry of Education. These training centres provide training in catering, dressmaking, electronic, carpentry, draftsmanship and building construction through research, practice and development activities. This is designed to contribute to the economic and social development in the country.
By:Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
When computers becomes an examinable subject in Ghana next year, the students at the YMCA Mpraeso School may still be learning computers through chalk-board theory instruction, but they will rise to the challenge and overcome the odds as they have done before.
Situated high in the mountains in Kwahu Ridge, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, the school opened in 1996 as a day care centre with an enrolment of five girls and six boys. Today, it has expanded to include Junior Secondary School with a current student enrolment of 263 girls and 291 boys.
The school received initial funding from the German YMCA and some funding up until 2002, but its steady growth is attributed to the close partnership between the school leadership, the YMCA Mpraeso leadership and the Parent Teacher Association.
Initially it catered for students from the local community, but now a school bus ferries students from six surrounding towns.
“In 2000, parents asked the school body to expand to a secondary school as they were so pleased with the development of their children that they wanted them to continue their education with the school,” said Emanuel Asomaning, Director of the school.
A long-term approach was taken to the building of classrooms, and the construction of a storey-structure is ongoing to ensure expansion is continuous.
“Most of the money for the expansion has come in the form of loans from our YMCA members,” explained Samuel Adjei Teukorang, a teacher at the school and a YMCA member.
The first JSS graduates in 2007 received an 85% pass rate and last year there was 100% pass rate, and the school was ranked second out of 178 schools in the district. This year’s graduates are presently awaiting the results of the examinations.
“Our students have really excelled in maths and science, with some of them winning regional contests and one even won a national award. We have also come first place a number of times in the Annual March Past, which celebrates the country’s independence each year on 6 March,” said Nana Alex Awere, the school accountant who keeps tabs on more than just the balance sheet.
The parents are of mixed income, including chiefs, police officers and doctors, as well as those who are poor.
“Two of our students have been sponsored as they are extremely bright but come from needy families who could not continue to pay school fees,” said Nana Alex. “Their families are very involved in their education and meet regularly with teachers to assess progress.”
The parent body has raised funds for needed school items and parents also come to give motivational talks to the students about their careers. Through a partnership with the government hospital, the students are vaccinated free at school.
The short-term goal now is to obtain computers and set up an internet cafe for the students. Based on its past track record of partnership, the school is hoping that this is achievable by the beginning of the next school year in September 2010 when computers is a compulsory and examinable subject. The school body, YMCA Mpraeso and the Parent Teachers Association is prepared to work hard to achieve this. But they also know that they will be able to manage somehow using theory lessons to ensure the students are not disadvantaged.
Photo: Leaders of the YMCA and the Mpraeso school
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The Ghana Ministry for Youth and Sports committed to working closely with the Ghana YMCA, when they met with a 12-person youth delegation last week.
Led by Reginald Ffoulkes Crabbe, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the Ghana YMCA, the YMCA delegation met with Hon. Nii Nortey Dua, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Alhaji Abudulai Yakubu, Chief Director, Kofi Aggrey, PRO, and other officials on 2 September 2009.
“Even though the youth is largely represented numerically on our continent, they have still remained voiceless and invisible. They have not been granted any meaningful space and voice in both the economical and political spheres. As a result, they have been relegated to a place best described as that of subjects and less of citizens,” said Reginald in his presentation. Reginald represented Prosper Hoeyi, the National General Secretary of the Ghana YMCA.
He explained that this has made the youth easy targets for ‘bandit politicians’ who see the youth as a commodity to be picked up via a little financial influence as and when needed for use in the perpetration of human rights abuses and saddening acts of socio-political vindictiveness.
“This strengthens our confidence as an organisation to enhance the civic competence of young people. A concept developed by the Africa Alliance of YMCAs dubbed ‘From Subject to Citizen’ is currently being rolled out in the various national movements, including Ghana. This was what informed our National Youth Convention this year in Prampram under the theme ‘Building the civic competence of the youth - a prerequisite for societal transformation,’” he said.
It was through the participation of Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon Rashid Pelpuo, at the National Youth Convention that the Ghana YMCA has now forged close links with the Ministry. During a meeting with the Minister in late August, he requested the presentation to his Ministry and the handing over of a communiqué on youth issues.
Reginald urged the ministry, relevant state institutions and stakeholders to take a critical look at the recommendations as contained in the communiqué and act promptly were necessary.
Ghana YMCA Youth President, Harold Obeng Yeboah, presented the communiqué to the Ministry.
The Deputy Minister congratulated the YMCA on the presentation and communiqué. Making reference to last year’s Youth Convention theme on the role of youth in curbing the effects of global warming, he called on other youth organisations to engage more youth on this issue and encouraged the Ghana YMCA to continue. Commenting on this year’s theme and the civic competence concept, he said it called for “total education” and invited the Ghana YMCA to develop a clear model for implementation.
Prioritised recommendations of the Ghana YMCA communiqué include: - That government should possibly look at a policy to integrate civic education in the curriculum of both first and second cycle institutions.
- That priority and appreciable consideration be given to government provision for Technical and Vocational Training Programmes in the youth policy.
- That the structures of the National Youth Council should be strengthened and adequately resourced to enable the council identify with its core functions.
- Since religion and spirituality have a strong link with morality and ethical behaviour of an individual, religious and moral education should not be diminished but rather given more space and attention in the school curriculum at the basic and secondary levels.
- Government should create an educational attachment scheme such that industry is somehow ‘compelled’ to take on students from both secondary and tertiary for vacation jobs in their respective study areas of pursuit.
- Fully recognise the important role that sports can play in helping to promote social development as well as addressing the exclusion of disadvantaged groups in society. In this context, government should provide sports infrastructure in the various communities to enhance accessibility to such needful facilities by the citizenry.
The Deputy Minister welcomed these recommendations. In response to civic education, he commented that 20-30 years ago, this was part of the school curriculum and said this will be given critical consideration by government. On strengthening the structures of the National Youth Council, he said introduction of transformative courses in all training centres is on the cards. He also said that the draft Youth Policy was under discussion at Council level and this will soon come before Cabinet and be billed before Parliament to be passed into Act. Regarding sports infrastructure, the Deputy Minister said government planned to build 10 multi-purpose sports courts throughout the country.
The communiqué highlighted women: “We also recognise the need to promote the role of women in social and economic development, by ensuring their participation in the political and economic life of the country.”
The Deputy Minister responded that the government had prioritised the participation of women in the current administration, as evidenced by the number of women in government now. He then referred to the Gender Responsibility Budget, a newly introduced system taking cognisance of women-related issues in Ghana.
Photo: Ghana YMCA youth delegation with the Ministry for Youth and Sports
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By:Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
In the last two decades, the Ghana government has placed low priority on technical training and highlighted academic tertiary education with devastating results for youth entry into the labour market and youth entrepreneurship.
“The Ghanaian economy is begging for workmen and women who will drive the production sector yet the country continues to promote an educational system that churns out graduates for non-existent white-collar jobs,” said Prosper Hoeyi, National General Secretary of the Ghana YMCA.
The YMCA Technical Training Centre (TTC) in the capital city, Accra, offers youth trades that are in demand in Ghana, to provide them with the opportunity for both employment and entrepreneurship.
Opened in 1966, the TTC has expanded continuously to now offer three-year courses in:
• Carpentry
• Joinery
• Building construction
• Draftmanship
• Electrical installation
While some students complete secondary schooling before enrolling at the training centre, many do not have basic education and are thus taught this alongside their trade.
“Students are mostly from poor areas and thus the fees are very low in order to afford them the opportunity to learn a trade. Of an enrolment rate of approximately 150 students per year, there is a 97% graduation rate,” said Dominic Mensah, TTC principal.
During the two-day practical sessions each week, students work on contract jobs from government and the private sector. The Centre also provides opportunities for vacation work so that students are able to earn income while studying.
Charles Kulewoshi, a 20-year-old student in his second year training in carpentry and joinery, has set his sights on becoming an entrepreneur.
“I want to establish my own business so I can train other young men so they won’t be idle, and can sustain themselves to be in charge of their own future. It is important to be able to look after yourself and not have to rely on your parents or the government. You can create jobs on your own if you take hold of the opportunity,” he said.
Godwin Adu, an ex-student of the TTC who is now a carpentry instructor at the Centre, emphasised the need for training in trade in the context of government not developing this sector. “There is now a stigma attached to learning and working in the trade industry. A trade is seen as a second-class option for people who are poor or can’t fit in anywhere. But a trade can give you self-dependence. Even when you are on pension, you can still work and earn a living.”
He said that 65% of students he has trained are in good managerial positions now, and 25% are self-employed. “Those I trained in the 1990s have diverted careers, upskilled and developed themselves. I feel very happy and proud. The economic situation is sadly taking its toll on the graduates of this decade.”
One of the first TTC graduates, Julius Tantuo, is now the Manager of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), the body that certificates the graduates of the YMCA TTC. In his current position, he is actively seeking solutions to increase youth entry into the labour market.
“Entrepreneurship is important but there are no policies or systems in place to direct and encourage it. The co-op system was encouraged under the first regime, with budget set aside and a co-op bank especially for this purpose. Since this system was abolished and government stopped supporting entrepreneurship, the situation has worsened to the current crises,” he said.
The NVTI is working with the South African Department of Trade and Industry to try to use some of their models for youth economic empowerment, according to Julius. In particular, they hope to set up a system for industry to set aside budget to employ graduates as trainees.
Julius’s story is a real success case for the TTC. His father passed away when he was six years old and it was difficult for his mother to afford schooling for him and his three siblings.
The vocational training course he took at the YMCA was affordable. “During vacations, the jobs I got through the Centre helped to defray school fees. This bailed my family out as I paid for the fees during the second and third years. My mother was so proud of me.”
After graduating, he was employed by TTC for a year in the income-generation project. He then trained to become a professional technical teacher and taught at a technical college.
“I had received so much benefit at the YMCA that I wanted to impart my skills and talents to benefit others through teaching,” he said. After teaching at a technical college, he then did a course on Management and Administration.
“The YMCA was the foundation of my life and helped me to develop others. It also taught me to save very early in my life. I am involved in much counselling now as a teacher and I use myself as a role model. I tell young boys about my difficult background and many have learnt to save through me,” he said.
Another of the first TTC graduates, Emmanuel Larbi, who is going on pension this year, spoke of his firm grounding received at the Centre. “The YMCA gave me focus for my future. Through my YMCA mentor, I also learnt family values and I have worked very hard to give my four children a good education. I have told them: This is the best I can do for you that will lead you to the rest of your life.”
After graduation, he too was employed at the centre. He spent three years as a staff member before completing an advanced trade course and then joining Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. Starting as a junior foreman, he has worked his way up to Chief Technician. “Our youth need to be encouraged. They need to know that they shouldn’t try to take short cuts. They need to be interested in what they are doing, focus and have vision and then work hard with determination,” he said.
Stephen Osei, another graduate who works as a mason at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, through the Ghana Health Services, said that despite the current youth employment crisis, there are jobs in the trade industry. But he cautioned that youth need to take their education very seriously in order to tap into these opportunities.
“At the YMCA I learnt hard skills but I also learnt to believe in myself. I really appreciated the training – it was my springboard and entry into my career and my life. My parents supported me. They were educated, so they wanted me to be educated. I already have an education fund set aside for my five-year-old daughter,” he said.
Charles is already making plans to establish his business. He is confident of a market through his networks of friends and family as he establishes himself, which he will complement with advertising. “When I graduate I will need some land and tools to set up my own business. If I can get a sponsor, this will be great. But if not, I will do it on my own. I have already started saving money for my tools and I am paying for my school fees, through the vacation jobs that I get through the Centre.”
He advises other youth that opportunity comes – but sometimes it only comes once, so use every opportunity you have.
Photo: Charles Kulewoshi
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By: Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
At the recent Ghana YMCA Youth Convention, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Honourable Rashid Pelpuo, applauded the YMCA’s current focus on civic competence to ensure youth are able to influence policy. He invited the YMCA youth to submit a communiqué to government for consideration and possible adoption.
Under the theme ‘Building the civic competence of the youth – prerequisite for societal change’, the annual Convention, attended by 160 youth from seven regions in Ghana, was held from 30 July to 2 August at Prampram, in the Greater Accra Region.
A previous YMCA member when he was at school, the Honourable Minister praised the YMCA for taking the lead on civic competence in Ghana, saying, “The Ghana YMCA has the capacity to make a positive impact on the youth and government relies on you to show the way for other youth organisations to follow.”
He opened his door to creating a partnership with the YMCA and committed government support to the civic competence programme.
Harold Obeng Yeboah, National Youth President, said, “As a result of colonialism, we were made to accept what was given to us. Decades after our country’s independence, this mindset has not changed. We are taught to respect our elders, whether they are right or wrong.”
Joel Arthur, National Youth Secretary, said that the youth have become more and more voiceless. “If we don’t change things, the next generation of leaders will also continue to focus rules and laws on the older generation.”
Harold explained that civic competence is about youth being able to articulate issues of importance to them, to have their opinions heard and then ultimately to influence those in authority. While, as Joel explained, the Convention focused on raising awareness and creating understanding, the next step is that of skills formation.
Four Ghana YMCA youth will attend the YMCA Youth Summit in Ethiopia from 28 October to 5 November, which focuses on equipping youth with the skills to act as change agents in their countries and collectively in Africa. On their return, these youth will be able to take practical steps to implement a civic competence programme in Ghana to ensure that youth are able to influence decision-making from community to national level.
As part of youth leadership development, the youth were tasked with raising the bulk of the budget for the event.
“As youth, we selected the theme for the Convention. Much of the preparation involved explaining civic concept to the participants and linking this with real issues. We made sure that we communicated constantly to mobilise support. Some of the monies we raised came from organisations but most of it was raised amongst ourselves, using registration fees, sponsorship packs and various other ways.
“There was a driving force in raising the money, as we were committed to dialogue about the theme, which had wide ownership due to us conceptualising it ourselves,” explained Charles Habiah, Chair of Greater Accra Regional Council, and National Executive Committee member. Charles also sits on the Executive Committee of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs and is a youth delegate at World Alliance level.
Never before in the history of the Convention had this happened. The youth raised three quarters of the budget, and the participant attendance doubled from previous years.
Another unique aspect of this year’s Convention was the engagement with decision-makers. As well as the Minister’s participation, other officials included Her Excellency Ernestina Naadu Mills, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Honourable E.T. Mensah, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Nene Atsure Denta III, Manklalo and Acting President of Prampram Traditional Council.
Photo: Minister for Youth and Sports, Honourable Rashid Pelpuo
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By: Prosper K Hoeyi, National General Secretary, Ghana YMCA
A decade after its closure, the Ghana YMCA and the local chief of Apedwa, have ensured the re-opening of the Apedwa Vocational Training Centre to provide youth with employment opportunities.
Apedwa lies on the main Accra-Kumasi highway and is about one-and-a-half hours away from Accra, the capital of Ghana. This community is surrounded by much greenery as it is situated in the forest zone of Ghana. Belonging to a trio of chieftaincy divisions – known in the local Akan language as the amantuomiensa – that serve as the royal guards of the Okyehene, Apedwa ranks high in the chieftaincy hierarchy of the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area of which the Okyehene is the overlord.
In 1983, when over two million Ghanaians were deported from Nigeria, communities in and around Apedwa saw a sudden influx of young people returning with a lot of energy, but with little or no employable skills. They had left the shores of Ghana to seek greener pastures in neighbouring Nigeria, a country that was then experiencing an oil boom. But on return to their motherland, they found that the cities had very little in store for them in terms of employment. So they returned to their villages in the hope of depending on the rich land abounding in the area to derive their livelihoods.
“In the first few years of our return from Nigeria, we were mainly engaged in vegetable farming. We planted garden eggs, tomatoes, pepper and just about any kind of vegetable that could grow on our land. The crops did very well wherever we grew them – whether on our farms or in our backyards – and we made very good harvests,” says John Awuah, a YMCA branch member and member of the Apedwa Vocational School Board.
As John explains, “It was our vegetable farming that attracted the YMCA to Apedwa. It happened when a team of Ghana YMCA staff and their partners stopped by one day to buy vegetables from us.” This initial contact led to the establishment of the Apedwa Rural Electrical Training Institute in 1987 with funding support from the traditional partner YMCAs in Germany, North America and England. The school, which was later upgraded and renamed Apedwa Vocational Training Centre, admitted young men and women to pursue courses in electricals, carpentry and joinery, and masonry. Most of these young people graduated to start their own small businesses or found jobs in the urban areas.
However, in 1998 the Apedwa Vocational Training Centre had to be closed down due to its inability to sustain itself. A protracted chieftaincy dispute that emerged soon after did not help matters as the community was sharply divided in solidarity with either one of the two feuding factions within the royal family. Realising the extent to which the chieftaincy dispute had retarded the progress of Apedwa, the community finally installed a new chief in 2005. Upon ascending the title, Barima Obenakwa Kwarifa II did not mince words of his intention to unite the people and combat youth unemployment in the area. The Ghana YMCA’s decision to re-open the school seems to have provided the chief with the perfect opportunity to realise his vision for the community. “Youth unemployment is a problem in and around Apedwa so I am working with the YMCA to revive the Apedwa Vocational Training Centre,” he said on Joy FM, an Accra-based radio station.
The Ghana YMCA and its German YMCA partner (CVJM) are offering financial and technical assistance for the re-opening of the school while the chief and people of Apedwa are also contributing some start-up funding and communal labour. Barima Obenakwa Kwarifa II has so far mobilised his people to construct a pit latrine which is at an advanced stage of completion. An old cocoa shed is being renovated to serve as a residence for the principal and some of the teaching staff of the school, while the students’ hostel is also under renovation. Barima Obenakwa Kwarifa II has committed his people to provide communal labour and they have obliged. At a recent fundraising durbar (1) in support of the school, his people again heeded his call as donations poured in from his citizens far and near. Excluding pledges, a cash amount of 5,700 Ghana cedis was realised, which the community is currently channeling towards the renovation works.
The Apedwa Vocational Training Centre has re-opened with 19 students so far enrolled for dressmaking and electricals. Clearly, the chief’s intention to reduce youth unemployment in partnership with the Ghana YMCA is on course. There is no doubt that a Ghana YMCA project has become a rallying point for a community that has emerged from a chieftaincy dispute to take their destiny into their own hands, thanks to the visionary leadership of Barima Obenakwa Kwarifa II, chief of Apedwa.
1. The word ‘durbar’ has traditional/royal connotations in Ghana. It is the gathering of a chief, his elders and his subjects. The fundraising event organised by the Apedwa community was also a durbar of the chief, his sub chiefs and the people.
Photo: Barima Obenakwa Kwarifa II seated in state during the fundraising durbar
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By: Reginald Ffoulkes Crabbe, Ghana YMCA
The newly appointed National General Secretary of Ghana YMCA has called for a cadre of generational thinkers to create an enabling environment for the movement to meet the needs and expectations of communities. He explains a generational thinker as one who leaves an inheritance for the next generation and makes impact in terms of social relevance.
Speaking at a recent Youth Strategy Workshop in Accra, organised for selected youth leaders and regional secretaries from all regions in the country, Prosper appealed to members to help to transform the organisation’s resources into monetary gains for the association to be self-reliant and thus able to meet its social responsibility to humanity.
His short-term priorities are to boost the income-generating activities of the association, including the rehabilitation of the hostel facility; to complement the staff strength by infusing new blood into it and to develop a well-articulated youth strategy.
He called for all hands on deck to realise the expected impact of these plans as the Ghana YMCA has a key role to play in influencing policies that affect the masses and in creating realistic platforms for the Ghanaian youth to develop their potential.
Born 41 years ago, Prosper is married with a family of three children. He is a product of Ghana’s premier university - University of Ghana, Legon - and holds a BA in Economics and French and an MA in Economics Policy Management. He has worked with a number of organisations including the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as a Senior Budget Analyst, Shangri-La Hotel as an Audit officer and Oxfarm GB where he last served for four years as the Market Access Coordinator.
Even though he assumed office at a time when the world is faced with economic recession, Prosper is of the view that for as long as the earth remains, the business of the YMCA is defined by continually assessing the needs of society and addressing any gaps.
As we all pledge our support to the work of the association, let us always remember that “life is what you make it”.
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By:Prosper Kweku Hoeyi, National General Secretary, Ghana YMCA
During the recent Executive Committee meeting in of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs, the movement paid tribute to Samuel Anim, who held the position of National General Secretary of the Ghana YMCA for 12 years. Samuel is a great man who worked tirelessly towards youth empowerment and capacity building in Ghana. His retirement in January 2009 was a huge blow to Africa, having dedicated 33 years to the Ghana YMCA.
He was born in 1948, at Konongo, Ghana. Young Samuel was an excellent School Administrator and possessed a Teachers Certificate ‘A’ before joining Ghana YMCA in 1975 as a Hi-Y Coordinator. He was under the direct supervision of Mr. Schroeter from CVJM Germany. During his era, Samuel relentlessly established and organized YMCA branches in Schools and Universities in Ghana.
In 1982, he was promoted to the position of Secretary for Leadership Training (Training Officer). In this portfolio, Samuel instituted and coordinated in-house training programmes for the development of professional and auxiliary staff of the Association. Despite some serious setbacks in the mid-eighties when Ghana YMCA was staff-constrained and cash-strapped Samuel played a critical role as the acting Regional Secretary for the combined Regions of Ashanti and Brong Ahafo and as Acting National General Secretary in the absence of the then substantive NGS.
By dint of hard work, Samuel was recommended to enroll at Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation and received a scholarship for the pursuit of the course. He distinguished himself among his peers and obtained a Diploma in Social Youth Work. Having accumulated in-depth knowledge in Community Development, Christian Education, Youth Work, Recreation, Sociology, Management, and Production, he was unanimously decided on as the person best fit for the Deputy National General Secretary position of Ghana YMCA in 1986. He supervised and provided managerial leadership to the Ghana YMCA Hostel, Guest Houses, and Canteen operations. Samuel served on numerous YMCA committees such as Ghana YMCA Headquarters Renovation, and Ghana YMCA Production Training Unit Privatization.
His ability to establish rapport with Ghana YMCA’s international partners led to swift responses from donors to sponsor youth capacity building projects and programmes. As a result, Ghana YMCA became one of the best recognized local NGOs for its community-based programmes.
From 1994 to 1995 Samuel held the position of first Fraternal Secretary to the Western Federation of YMCAs in Germany (CVJM-West bund), the first of its kind in Europe. As Fraternal Secretary, he worked closely with the Secretary of World Service and International Relations. Through this, awareness was created on the need for local associations to identify with the YMCA in the global context. He also visited over 300 local associations where he was involved with children, youth, and adult groups in their personal development.
Whilst in Germany, Samuel excelled in the execution of his responsibilities. He was recommended and sponsored to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Human Service, Springfield College, USA. After graduating with a distinguished pass, in 1996, he assumed the top position of National General Secretary of Ghana YMCA - a duty he responded to for 12 good years until his retirement in January 2009.
We thank Samuel Henry Edward Anim for his development of the national movement, and his commitment to youth, and we comment him for his achievements at national level and in the international arena. Thank you Samuel, go well, we wish you a well-earned rest and know that you will always be a friend to the YMCA, your extended family.
Photo: Samuel Anim accepts an honourary plaque from Evelyn Sadio, Africa Alliance Executive Committee Member from Senegal YMCA; staff photo.
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