Enactus wins community service award

The University of Ghana (UG) entrepreneurial youth group, Enactus, has won the grand finale of the Osei-Kusi Foundation community service award, grabbing a cash price of GHC10,000, to undertake a renovation project at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The Enactus, which beat five others to snatch the award, presented an innovative project plan that is seeking to renovate the occupational therapy centre at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to train cured patients in the arts of beads stringing.

Optimus from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) came second, with their project seeking to construct four urine-diversion toilet (EcoSsan toilet) to separate urine from faeces, to guarantee compost for farmers in Antoa in the Ashanti Region.

The Catholic University College’s Allure, which emerged third, presented a project proposal that sought to equip Junior High and Senior High schools’ graduates from Afrisipakrom, in the Brong Ahafo region with bead making skills.

The two, other contestants were each given a plaque and certificate.

The remaining competitors included Advise Volunteers from Radford University, Innovative Technocrats from KNUST, and Potter-Clay from the University of Cape Coast.

They were also given plaques and certificates.

Doctor Kofi Osei-Kusi, Executive President of the Osei-Kusi Foundation, said it was seeking to use the awards scheme as a platform to drive volunteerism, innovation and community service among tertiary students and the youth in the country.

He said the platform would also be used to honour corporate bodies to partner youth groups and students to use innovation to solve social problems in the country.

He noted that volunteerism offered people a great deal of hope and confidence to unleash their youthful talents and innovation on the social and economic drive of the country.

He said: “through voluntarism, they (youth) can develop their talents, gain work experience and get access to employment.

“Volunteerism brings joy and fulfillment because you’re giving back to society, it helps to overcome idleness and depression, builds self-confidence, and helps to make the world a better place for everyone.”