Ghanaian minister calls for youth participation in sports
2012-03-05
The minister of Youth and Sports Clement Kofi Humado has advised the youth to partake actively in sports to harness its enormous benefits and become ambassadors of the West African country of Ghana.In a message to the Youth Development Through Sports (YDS) projects, Humado said sports remained undoubtedly a very powerful tool for youth development and the overall progress of a nation.
"This is because sports help in the physical and mental development of man and also has the potential of keeping the youth away from harmful practices such as drugs, substance abuse and other social vices," he said.
He expressed his appreciation to the German International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and Youth Development Through Football (YDF) South Africa for their financial and material support in building the capacity of members of YDS.
The Board Chairman of the YDS, Kodwo Morgan, reiterated the organization's commitment to using sports as a tool to address challenging developmental issues facing various communities across the country.
The YDS, a network organization, serves as a platform to link non-profit groups, including state institutions that use sports as a tool for social development and focus on fostering relations among the member organizations.
It also provides a common position nationally and internationally in addressing issues such as violence prevention, health awareness, social integration, peace building, environmental protection and education, among others.
Its mission is to develop a center of competence that interconnects and strengthens long-term sports-based social development initiatives that could transform the lives of disadvantaged children and youth by increasing their opportunities and consolidating an environment of social change and productivity.
The YDS project, which emerged out of the experiences of the 2006 World Cup held in South Africa, is jointly financed by the German government and the European Union. It has been implemented in 10 countries including South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Mozambique, among others.
It has also developed a manual for coaches for the development of the youth whereby specific skills of sportsmen and women are integrated in programs to educate the youth on HIV and violence.
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