Wum council has recently empowered 204 youths drawn within the municipality, as part of her social cooperate responsibility. The global envelop of this youth empowerment exercise stands at CFA seven million francs cfa (CFA 7.000.000). These youths were employed within the framework of the council’s cooperate social responsibility. In all, 204 youths have been empowered financially.
The closing ceremony took place at the Wum Town hall under the auspices of the Senior Divisional Officer for Menchum, Mr. Abdoullahi Aliou, on Friday September 2, 2022.
Wum council stands tall in Menchum division as the only council that has never stopped empowering the youths in a bit to curb the high rate of unemployment rocking the municipality. The challenges faced in this youth empowerment drive has been the sociopolitical stalemate in the two English speaking regions. The holiday makers demonstrated full of enthusiasm; were hardworking and obedient, supervised by Councillor Buo Ephraim Amuh, Chairperson of works and infrastructure committee of the Wum council for a two month employment.
The Mayor of Wum council, Mr. Dighambong Anthony Mvo, showered praises on the youths who braved the odds to assist the council in keeping the streets and other public premises clean, as they dug blocked gutters, planted ornamental trees and flowers that help to beautify the municipality. He encouraged other youths who have never benefited from this youth empowerment scheme to apply when the opportunity comes.
The SDO lauded the initiative of the council to accompany the youths of the municipality, while adding that the council is a non-replaceable catalyst of development in the society, and called on the council to ensure sustainability of the ornamental trees and flowers the youths have planted during these holidays.
The SDO frowned at those who are dragging their feet to send their children to school while he reiterated through Kofi Annan’s quote, the importance of education. “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Before calling on the Wum council to put in place a sustainable mechanism, to ensure that the job done by the children should not be in vain. The council has the obligation to continue maintaining cleanliness within the municipality.
The youths were overwhelmed and expressed how they felt through their songs. To Nsame Beri Faith, ” it has not been easy doing this job, especially in this crisis. The holiday job was an opportunity for us to stay away from being clandestine in behaviour; contracting HIV, involving ourselves in drug abuse and other social ills".
This year’s holiday job was about working along the streets, digging and opening culverts, planting flowers, working around church premises, palaces, schools, delegations and administrative buildings. other youths were of the opinion that "the council should make sure that the holiday job comes up very often. The council should also fine means to continue to follow up this cleanliness of the town", by engaging some of them in this activities.
The Mayor of Wum Council also enumerated the difficulties face in the course of this holiday exercise, as well as the youths who pointed out that, “We had so many difficulties on the field: no gloves, no rain boots and other useful materials. We therefore call on the council to provide us with these items next time so as to enhance our work.”
Despite these challenges, Mayor Dighambong was appreciated for his efforts in empowering the youths, with a financial package offered by the Wum Council that was indeed proof that it will go a long way to help them prepare for the academic year.
by Bamenjo Petronila