'Young people must drive change, not wait for it' — Engr. Emmanuel Tetteh urges at Leadership Diary Program

The Regional Director for Urban Roads in the Savanna Region, Engr. Emmanuel Tetteh, has urged young people to take personal responsibility for transforming their communities instead of waiting for others to take the lead.

Speaking at the launch of the Community Impact Project (CIP) during the 2025 Leadership Diary Training Program (LDTP) in Accra, he challenged participants to move from complaint to contribution, stressing that true transformation begins with individual initiative.

“If each of us asks, ‘What can I do?’ we can make our environment better,” he said.

Engr. Tetteh explained that the Community Impact Project was inspired by the need to encourage young people to take ownership of their surroundings and find innovative solutions to challenges within their communities.

“We hear everybody complaining about what’s going wrong. The question is, what can we do to change the narrative? We have a wonderful youth generation, and we can start the change,” he said.

He noted that even small acts of initiative can inspire others and trigger broader change when young people work together with purpose and persistence.

The Community Impact Project was launched as part of this year’s LDTP under the theme “Igniting the Future: Youth Leading Global Change.” It provides a platform for participants to put their leadership skills into practice by identifying needs within their communities and designing sustainable projects to address them.

At the launch, Global CEO of the Youth Arise Organisation, Moses Baffour Awuah, said the initiative marks a transition from theoretical learning to practical leadership.

“Genuine leadership is not forged in the comfort of a lecture hall; it is forged in service,” he stated. “This project is where the rubber meets the road, as it demands that you move from ideas to impact.”

Both speakers agreed that the Community Impact Project will test the resolve and readiness of young leaders to create meaningful change.

Engr. Tetteh concluded by encouraging participants to take the first step, regardless of how small it may seem. “Even if a problem seems too heavy to lift alone, start by asking what you can do. When you begin, others will join you,” he said.