Youth Path Organization launches Inter-schools debate on SDGs

In pursuant of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Youth Path Organization (YPO) is implementing a project dubbed: Speak SDGs – Promoting student led literary approaches as tools for sustainable development in communities.

As part of the project, the youth-led non-profit organization is organizing an inter-schools debate on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to whip up the interest of the youth to get involved in the global effort to pursue a sustainable development agenda to save the world from a further degradation of the environment and climate from avoidable negative human activities.

The Inter-Schools SDGs Debate which will be held in March 2020 among basic schools along the coastal communities in the Accra Metropolitan Area of the Greater Accra region of Ghana, was officially launched at the Regent University College of Science and Technology on Friday, February 7, 2020.

Speaking at the launch, the Project Leader, Mr. Abraham Eyiku Essiem indicated that, “the overarching goal of the project is to create awareness about the SDGs by using inter-schools debate, dialogues and the SDG framework to inspire and empower girls and boys to take action, as agents of change in communities.”

On her part, the Project Coordinator at the Youth Path Organization, Ekua Afrakuma Armoo observed that, “the Project targets the coastal communities within the Accra Metropolitan Area where schools will be selected to benefit from the initiative and will be required to transfer knowledge to the communities for societal transformation.”

According to her, the initial seven schools which were present at the launch have been ceded for the debate series and would later be paired with other schools who would show interest in the project when it officially kicks off in March this year.

The schools involved are penned to receive prizes for participation ranging from cash prizes to donations of products from sponsors and the stocking of their school library with reading materials.

Some of the schools which were present at the launch includes: Bell Flower School; The Pearl School; Believers International School; and Parent Star Academy.

The others include: Shalom Christ Academy; Royal Academy of Excellence; St. Thomas Preparatory; and Astonishing International School.

A Council Member of the YPO who performed the launch, Mr. Charles Nii Odotei Odoi, underscored the need for the children to be introduced to the 17 goals of the United Nations SDG at a very early age in order to get their buy in to assist in the efforts to ensure a sustainable development in the world before the 2030 deadline.

He was concerned that even though the world body launched the programme about 5 years ago in 2015, very little is known about it in the local communities while the environment continues to be degraded and water bodies end up being destroyed unabated.

“If we all understood and bought into the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ghana will go far. Because number one: we will eradicate poverty; hunger will be no more; our health and well-being will be sustained and we will have enough water to drink,” he observed.

The Youth Path Organization headed by Mr. Cyril France as the Executive Coordinator, is a youth-led non-profit organization committed to promoting the ethos of a youth-led development through the creation of initiatives that inspire and empower the youth to fulfill their potential and contribute to activities that create social and environmental impact in Ghana.

Their sphere of activities includes youth in governance, agriculture, environment, public health, sanitation and peace building among others.

Source: Clement Akoloh || africanewsradio.com