Community service, volunteerism can help address youth vulnerabilities to unemployment, drugs and conflicts — WACCE

The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE) has raised concerns that high youth unemployment and the lack of functional social structures are threatening the future of young people in Ghana.

According to WACCE, the scarcity of job opportunities has driven many youth in urban centers such as Tamale, Kumasi, and Accra to engage in activities like drug abuse (including tramadol), betting, and excessive drinking, jeopardizing their prospects.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra to launch WACCE's new initiative, ‘Building Change Makers for Change,’ Executive Director Mr. Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar emphasized that community service and volunteerism could play a vital role in addressing youth vulnerabilities. He noted that these activities can empower young people and better position them to tackle issues like unemployment, drug abuse, and violence.

The initiative, a collaboration with the U.S. Embassy through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), aims to empower youth by engaging them in community service and volunteerism to inspire positive change in their communities. The project will provide leadership and community service training to 120 participants, teaching them how to use these skills to address local problems while gaining valuable social and job-related skills.

The training will involve a two-day program focused on leadership, gender-based violence, community service, and volunteerism, followed by community service activities in four selected areas in Tamale and Accra.

Mr. Muqthar highlighted the importance of community service and volunteerism, stressing their potential to inspire change, build resilient societies, and improve community life. He pointed out that unemployment leaves young people disempowered and unable to positively contribute to society, leading to issues such as drug abuse, armed robbery, and gambling.

He warned of the long-term consequences of these challenges, noting the rise of hardcore criminals, drug addicts, alcoholics, and youth who waste their lives in betting centers. These issues are not merely potential threats but are already taking root in communities.

WACCE believes that, if implemented effectively, community service and volunteerism can significantly empower young people to address these challenges more efficiently and at a lower cost. Mr. Muqthar suggested that even unemployed youth and school dropouts could find value in volunteerism, which could serve as a gateway into the job market, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

He also emphasized that volunteerism and community service teach valuable job skills, improve job prospects, and enhance social skills, teamwork, communication, networking, and self-esteem among young people.