IN view of the high school drop out rate among the youth in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region due to poverty, the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) has proposed the establishment of a sustainable education fund for brilliant needy children in the area.
The association also said the fund should be tailored towards assisting students who are pursuing science courses since the area lacked the needed human resource.
The Interim Chairman of MAYA, Mr Adam Yussif, who explained MAYA’s proposals at Walewale during the Home Coming Summit of the association also appealed to the respective district assemblies to commit a percentage of their common fund as seed money to the fund for at least five years.
Mr Yussif further suggested to the Overlord of Mamprugu, Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, for a percentage of the sale of the land in Mamprugu to be added to the fund.
“The principal goal of our education towards our communities should be aimed at creating men capable of doing new things and not repeating what other generations have done” he pointed out.
The chairman suggested the indentification of a common festival to be known as GBEWAA festival for Mamprugu, besides the Damba and Bugum festivals.
“The proposed festival should signify the movement of GBEWAA children from Pusiga to our present location; this festival could become more vibrant such that sons and daughters will identify and honour this day for reunion”Mr Yussif noted.
The Overlord of Mamprugu encouraged the youth to eschew all forms of lawlessness that could bring instability to the area.
He observed that some of the youth were into drugs and alcoholism, saying “we have to develop Mamprugu with a healthy youth and not a sick youth”.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Nayina, announced that the Dutch Government had released a grant of seven million Euros to help construct five bridges to link the overseas areas in the district to the Upper West Region.
According to him the project was expected to start next year adding that some of the equipment for the project were being shipped into the country.
The minister commended MAYA for reviving the association after it had been dormant for some years.
He, therefore, urged the youth in the area to actively participate in the decision making process in their respective communities.
Mr Nayina urged residents to let education be their top priority by sending their children to school.
The West Mamprusi District Chief Executive, Mr Lord Zakaria noted that it was important for citizens of the area to brainstorm on how best to promote the accelerated development of the area instead of engaging in divisiveness.
“It is good we are gathered here as a tribe not as political enemies; the revival of MAYA was timely as there are a lot of development challenges confronting this district” he pointed out.
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