An eight-member Ugandan delegation led by a Member of Parliament for the Youth of Northern Uganda, Hon. Evelyn Anite is in the country for a five-day study tour of the operations of the Ghana National Service Scheme (GNSS).

The delegation was welcomed by Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, the Executive Director of the GNSS, who briefed them on the general operations of the Scheme. He told the delegation that the Scheme has chalked successes over the years and has now ventured into modernized agricultural projects in fulfillment of its mandate and objective to provide skills to the youth in food production. This, he said, has been made possible as a result of the government’s commitment to youth work and the political will to engage the youth in productive venture.

Mr. Kuagbenu urged the delegation to take the experiences they would acquire through their study tour in Ghana to lobby their legislature to commit their government to attach importance to youth volunteering.

The delegation later paid a courtesy call on the Ag. Minister of Education, Hon. E. T. Mensah in his office who expressed the Ministry’s appreciation for the choice of the GNSS for their study. He said the youth of Ghana have been involved in the development of the country at every stage of its history right from independence.

Hon. E.T. Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, recounted the days when students of Ghana made a lot of sacrifices, volunteered and evacuated tonnes of locked-up cocoa from the hinterlands; and urged the delegation, who are all youth, to encourage their fellow young ones in Uganda to be committed to youth volunteerism in order to positively impact on their country’s developmental efforts.

On behalf of the delegation, Mr. Samuel Kavuma, Chairperson of the Uganda National Youth Council thanked the Minister for the warm reception, and assured their host of putting into practice what they would learn from Ghana.

As part of the tour, the delegation would be been taken through a day’s workshop which would be facilitated by Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, Executive Director, GNSS; Mr. Charles Y. Aheto-Tsegah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service; Madam Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, National Co-ordinator of the National Youth Authority; Rev. George Gado, Projects Director of the GNSS and Mrs. Kafui Mills Odoi, the VSO Programme Manager of the National Voluntary Programme in Ghana.

They would also visit the GNSS demonstration farm at Papao near Hatso in Accra and some selected schools where National Voluntary Service Persons are teaching. The delegation is due to fly back home on Thursday, 16th February, 2012.

Signed AMBROSE ENTSIWAH JNR HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS