The Catholic University College on Friday won the Community Service Award of GH¢ 9,000, for implementing a community bakery project at Nankitiwa in the Sunyani Metropolis, which was sponsored by Osei-Kusi Foundation and Selfless4Africa Incorporated.
The Osei-Kusi Foundation (OKF), is a development and resource non-governmental organization (NGO), with focus on young people, whereas Selfless4Africa is a United States-based NGO, aimed at uplifting Africa’s poor image, and changing Africa’s future one life at a time, and inspiring acts of selflessness in others.
The award scheme is aimed at cultivating a spirit of volunteerism and community service among young people, and to encourage them to be selfless, innovative and committed to supporting people living in deprived communities.
This year’s award scheme received 20 applications from students from 10 tertiary institutions, out of which Teams: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – E-waste management project at Agbogloshie in Accra, University of Ghana – Library renovation project at Senya-Breku in the Central Region and Catholic University College – Bakery for youth at Nankitiwa project were shorted-listed to be present at the Grand Finale and Awards ceremony in Accra.
The University of Ghana and the KNUST teams were the first and second runner-ups respectively.
Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education, in a speech read on her behalf by Mr Donald Tey, Director of Tertiary Education at the Ministry, commended OKF for standing out in the area of investing in the youth.
She said volunteerism is the key catalyst in economic transformation, adding that in developed countries, volunteerism contributes greatly to their economic transformation.
She said through this Community Service Award, both OKF and Selfless4Africa were empowering the youth to do more for their society.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang urged corporate organizations to support OKF in its efforts to empower the nation’s youth.
Mr Kofi Osei-Kusi, OKF Executive President, said the Organization is currently sponsoring 10 blind and deaf children to go through education to the highest possible level.
He said: “By providing books to school children in deprived communities where some have no pencils or single exercise books to write in, we are making a small difference.”
The Executive President said the organization had been able to touch over 50,000 lives through their rural outreaches, mentoring, coaching, leadership and wealth creation programmes, scholarship scheme for a blind and deaf, prisoners support services and motivational books for the youth.
He said OKF is undertaking further works by establishing a Youth Development and Resource Centre (YDRC) at Oyarifa near Adenta, to serve as a hub for the advancement of volunteerism, community service, reintegration of youth homeless prisoners back into society, as well as offer vocational and entrepreneurship training for the youth, among many others.
Mr Nathaniel O. Quarcoopome, Director of Finance and Administration of the Ghana Association of Industries, urged the winning team to stay focused on the project.
Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Executive Director of Future Leaders International, who chaired the function, promised to donate 1, 000 blocks toward the construction of the YDRC, and to make sure that Team University of Ghana’s Library renovation project at Senya-Bereku in the Central Region becomes a reality.
Mr Lawrence Akuffo, a philanthropist, pledged to donate a parcel of land at Oyarifa and 1,000 blocks towards the YDRC project.
Mr Michael Amponsah, of the Catholic University College, on behalf of his colleagues – Mr Agbese Worlanyo and Ms Priscilla Amoah Agyeman, thanked OKF and Selfless4Africa for the honour done them, and promised to make sure that the project is fully executed, thereby empowering the youth of Nankitiwa to go into enterpreneurship.
The participants were each given an award and a certificate of participation.
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