GHANA YOUTH MOTIVATION FORCE

ABIBIMMAN FOUNDATION GREEN-LIFE CLUBS
(Promoting Livelihoods, Peace & Development)
(Student’s Wing)

YOUTH MOTIVATION FORCE (PHASE 1)
REPORT ON ONE DAY COUNSELING AND FREE HEALTH SCREENING FOR PUPILS AND STUDENTS IN THE TEMA MUNICIPALITY

DATE: MARCH 17 2007 VENUE: CHEMU SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL - TEMA



Healthy minds in healthy bodies of young people and youth are vital in ensuring any national development agenda. The one day counseling and free health screening for pupils and students in the Tema Municipality is a pilot of the foundation’s drive to promoting higher education and skill training whiles encouraging young people to be concerning about their health; i.e. have regular medical check-ups. The event stimulated interest in higher educational attainment by motivating its participants (from classes of Primary 4 to Senior Secondary 3) unto devoting their time, energy and resource into attaining higher education; guiding and counseling them on subject and course selection and related employment opportunities; available tertiary institutions, courses offered and entry requirements; and the dangers of absenteeism, examination malpractices, drug abuse, sexual involvement on educational pursuits amongst others.





The event archived high patronage especially among the Basic Schools. Although we sought to counsel over one thousand and two hundred (1,200) youth participants and involve over one hundred and twenty (120) Resource Persons and thirty-five (35) Health Personnel, seven hundred and ten (710) pupils and students with twenty five (25) student nurses and five (5) resources persons participated.

General Forum
This session provided general information on importance and current trend in academic pursuits and requirements; challenges and opportunities. The two-hour-section helped participants to have a general understanding and contributed with questions.


Focused group discussion
The Basic School pupils and students had their section in the main auditorium. They were encouraged on the need to be hardworking and level headed in school and also the need to be respectful to their teachers and parents. He used various illustrations to encourage the participants to be determined to succeed stressing that it was one of the primary ingredients to success Senior Secondary student participants were to be clustered into a separate classroom. Mr. Alex Wiafe of the University of Ghana Counseling and Placement Centre guided the participants on course selection and courses to be studied in order to pursue certain specific courses in the university, in the polytechnics and consequently land particular jobs.




Free health screening
The health screen started first with an eye screening, followed by general health check up which ranged from body mass Index (BMI), oral hygiene and care, to check for haemoglobin (Hb), blood pressure (Bp). All the seven hundred and ten (710) participants were screened. Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) was made available and twelve (12) participants from the second cycle institutions made use of. The teachers also took the opportunity to be screen.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Participant were encouraged and challenged to pursue higher education not only for their own benefit but for the development of the societies and the nation as a whole
2. Participants were advised on the various courses to pursue in other to be in particular jobs
3. Participants were advised as to how to choose careers to pursue based on their abilities and strengths
4. Seven hundred and ten (710) participants had to opportunity to screen their eyes and also have general health screening.
5. Teachers and resource persons present also had the opportunity to screen for their blood pressure.
6. Students and resource persons also had the opportunity to be counseled and tested for HIV.

SHORTFALLS AND LIMITATIONS

Various limitations and problems were met before and during the program. Paramount among these were;

• Financial and logistical constraints:
It was difficult to raise fund to support and implement the project to its fullest. Most organization expressed interest in supporting the project but in the end did not support the project. The project was thus, run on a contingency budget resulting in other shortfall.

• Late distribution of forms:
The Foundation was unable to distribute and follow up the forms for participants earlier, thus, some student who wanted to participant in the program could not because they did not get the needed information to inform their decisions.

• Absences of most Resource Person:
Most of the expected resource persons from the corporate bodies could not turn up thus rendering the program to be without the expected number of resource persons,.

• Refreshment for participants
Although the Cocoa Processing Company Ltd served all participants with chilled cocoa drink for free, the unavailability of solid food and enough water for participants who had spent close to eight (8) hours at the program was burdening.


WAY FORWARD

The various shortfalls and successes have been taken into accounts which are guiding the Foundation to charter the following course of action among others to ensure the successful implementation of subsequent programs;

1. Form a consortium of resource persons for the implementation of subsequent programs
2. Raise a seed fund to serve as a base support for the subsequent programs.
3. Ensure early preparations and distributions of letters and participation forms to afford more students to participate in the program.
4. To set up the Foundation’s counseling centre at the venue of the first program; Chemu Secondary School to help students any time they feel the need for counseling and guidance.
5. Ensure the provision of food and water for participants at subsequent programs.

APPRECIATIONS

The program is considered as being successful because most of its aims were achieved and this success was jointly due to the support of the following individuals and organization;

• The Tema Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service
• COMBACEPH, School of Nursing, University of Ghana.
• Counseling and Placement Centre, University of Ghana
• Cocoa Processing Company Ltd.
• Chemu Secondary School
• Hotel Joecarl Ltd.
• DABS Medical Supplies Ltd.
• Heads and staff of all the participated schools
• Mr. Alex Wiafe - Counseling and Placement Centre, University of Ghana
• Mrs. Faustina Oware-Gyekye - COMBACEPH, School of Nursing, University of Ghana