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10.05.2004 Regional News

Ghanaian professionals urged to emulate sacrifices of foreign volunteers

10.05.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Ho, May 10, GNA - Ghana's young professionals have been urged to emulate the examples of service with sacrifice demonstrated by their foreign counterparts who regularly took up voluntary service in the country.

Mr Timothy Gaitu, a Tutor at the Local Government Technical Training Centre (LGTTC) Accra, made the call at a ceremony in Ho to welcome five volunteer Medical Students from Chicago, USA to undertake a one-month voluntary paediatric medical service and teaching under the auspices of the Ho based Christian Life Centre, Prince Charles School and Dr Asase Memorial Orphanage.

Mr Gaitu observed that there was a greater call to service and sacrifice on the youth, especially those who have attained great heights in education and training.

He said such youth would be paying their due to the society by voluntarily sharing the benefits of their training with the poor and vulnerable as a token of gratitude.

Mr Gaitu commended the volunteers for leaving the comforts of their home country to put themselves at the service of people in need. The voluntary medical service termed "Serve and Learn" would also provide opportunities to the volunteers to learn and understand the local culture and ways in which they could be of assistance on their return home.

Reverend Benjamin Bankas, Regional Director of Christian Life Centre, said there was the need for religious organisations to explore ways of addressing the spiritual and material needs of young people especially those whose formal education had been interrupted and had therefore, become vulnerable.

He said it was for this reason that his organisation had adopted a number of initiatives through which such youth could have better opportunities that would mould them into holistic personalities.

Mr Fui Dawson, Co-ordinator of "Serve and Learn" and leader of the volunteers said cultural understanding among the youths of the USA and Ghana was vital for establishing a strong bond of understanding between the two countries.

He said the volunteers were in the country to learn as much of the rich cultural diversities of the people while rendering service to them.

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