Visit to family with five blind offspring

Patriots Ghana KNUST being touched by the plight of a family in Kumawu Bodomase decided to visit them during their Easter break. The family of eight has five of the children blind and the parents currently jobless. The students solicited for funds from their fellow students, friends and family and members of the group. Members of the chapter accompanied by a media group on campus called watuptek embarked on this outreach. On reaching their destination, they were welcomed by the family and both parties introduced themselves. The president ( Emmanuel Ato Yamoah)of the group prayed and told them the reason for the visit. He then asked them about their wellbeing in all aspects and also about their situation. The mother told them that they weren't born blind but they lost their sight as they grew up and have been told by the doctors that there is no cure. The children of Madame Abena Kokowa (who does not know her age) are Kojo (42),Kwaku Solomon (36), Abena Mary (34) Comfort (32) and Dorcas (22). The youngest ( dorcas) who attends Senior High School told the group about the challenges she has been going through and how she manages to study. According to her there is not sufficient learning material for her and also most of the text books and manuscripts she needs are not in the braille form. After inquiry, the family told them about how they currently do not receive any support from the society, NGO or the government, not even with regards to Dorcas and Comforts schooling. They all expressed how they wish they could have sight so they could support the family and relieve their mother of the burden since she is old now and they are also very capable of working. The president then asked them what is the one thing they would like the group to do for them and they responded that they would like to receive a training and financial support in vocation and also financial support for those in school. The team led by the president donated items such as; rice, oil, soaps, washing powder, blankets, bed sheets and many others to them and wished them a happy holiday. After they helped them with some of their chores, interacted with them, prayed and later asked for permission to leave. We hope our visit impacted their lives and gave them another reason to be happy in this festive season. Patriots Ghana KNUST intends to provide a more sustainable support for this family and others and requests for support from any individual or group that would like to make a change. Thank you and Happy Easter. Contact- +233(0) 247602583 Source: Emmanuel Yamoah President Patriots Ghana KNUST www.patriotsghana.org

Patriotism Project to nurture next generation of patriots in Ghana

Patriots Ghana KNUST as part of their vision to nurture the next generation of Patriots and intellectuals in Ghana visited the Ayeduase Cluster of Schools for a talk and discussion session. The president, Emmanuel Yamoah spoke to the children about patriotism and illustrated some acts of patriotism using current and historical patriots. The students were also enlightened on the difference between Patriotism and Jingoism. Using the difference cultural indicators, the students were encouraged to value themselves, feel proud to be Ghanaian and continue to cherish the dressing, food, literature, symbols, film, music and dance, etc. The Daniel Owusu a student volunteer and member also made the students aware of the various resources of the country such as cocoa, timber, petroleum and natural gases, agricultural produce etc. Thereafter through a discussion they were showed some of the reasons why despite these resources, the country is not developing at its full capacity such as lack of human resources, corruption, illiteracy, poor sanitation etc. They then stressed on how the children of Ghana are very important to the country and their role in ensuring that Ghana develops. They were encouraged to stay in school and study very hard, help their friends, keep the environment clean, respect the laws and cherish their rights, etc. Further, Selorm Deku spoke to them about staying focused on their education and making every effort to develop, learn and shunning any habit that would hinder them from being what they desire to be. He illustrated how laziness, irrelevant relationships, media, disobedience etc could go a long way to destroy their future and affect the development of Ghana. Afterwards, all present stood up and recited the national pledge and then twenty students that answered questions were given a free copy of the How to Pass your Exams book by Jack Reagans. The questions included the meaning of the colors of the national flag, the meaning of the word Ghana (Warrior King). Thereafter, Godwin Seworno made a presentation of the Ghanaian National Flag to the school, followed by a group picture with the flag and interaction with the students and teachers. Patriots Ghana believes that as a country if we make a conscious effort to nurture and invest in the children of Ghana, and also by developing their minds to think positively and love their country, Ghana will be able to develop to her full capacity. Patriots Ghana- Developing the Nation with Passion Source: Emmanuel Yamoah President Patriots Ghana KNUST www.patriotsghana.org www.patriotsghana-knust.webs.com +233247602583 (whatsapp, viber) Pa

University Students embark on project to provide community with portable water.

University Students embark on project to provide community with portable water.

Quiz competition for students

Patriots Ghana KNUST organized a quiz and spelling bee competition at the MA BEDIAKO PREPARATORY SCHOOL at Amakom, Kumasi. The chapter prior to the event visited the school to event received authorization from the Head teacher, Mr. C.A Boahen and interacted with the teachers of the school. The fifteen contestants, that is three from each of the five teams were tested on grammar, mathematics, science and spelling. The competition was divided into three rounds and points were awarded accordingly. At the end of the competition, Patriots Ghana KNUST awarded certificates of participation and books to all the contestants and also gave out KNUST customized books, wrist bands, pens etc dependent on their positions in the competition. After, the president of the chapter, Emmanuel Yamoah, used the opportunity to have a short talk session with the students. He talked to the students about the importance of reading wide and also entreated them to stay focused on their education. After the students had told him their career choices, he encouraged them to believe in themselves and motivated them to aspire to become whatever they want thus also staying away from anything that would prevent them achieving their desires such as bad company, inappropriate use of the internet, spending too much with the television etc. The event coordinator, Prince Adutwum afterwards congratulated the participants, the students present and also their teachers for the great performances, and motivated them to stay focused because they are the future of Ghana. He also stated that they are among the best schools in Kumasi .

After the event the Patriots, interacted with the teachers and the children and thereafter visited the office of the headmaster to thank him for the support and also discussed future collaborations for educative and developmental projects and events.

Patriots Ghana appreciates the efforts of all the members that made the event a success and invites everyone else to join, so we can develop our dear country and nurture the future leaders.

PATRIOTS GHANA KNUST- DEVELOPING THE NATION WITH PASSION.

(www.patriotsghana-knust.webs.com)

Quiz Competition in Kumasi Metropolis

Patriots Ghana KNUST organized a quiz and spelling bee competition at the MA BEDIAKO PREPARATORY SCHOOL at Amakom, Kumasi. The chapter prior to the event visited the school to event received authorization from the Head teacher, Mr. C.A Boahen and interacted with the teachers of the school. The fifteen contestants, that is three from each of the five teams were tested on grammar, mathematics, science and spelling. The competition was divided into three rounds and points were awarded accordingly. At the end of the competition, Patriots Ghana KNUST awarded certificates of participation and books to all the contestants and also gave out KNUST customized books, wrist bands, pens etc dependent on their positions in the competition. After, the president of the chapter, Emmanuel Yamoah, used the opportunity to have a short talk session with the students. He talked to the students about the importance of reading wide and also entreated them to stay focused on their education. After the students had told him their career choices, he encouraged them to believe in themselves and motivated them to aspire to become whatever they want thus also staying away from anything that would prevent them achieving their desires such as bad company, inappropriate use of the internet, spending too much with the television etc. The event coordinator, Prince Adutwum afterwards congratulated the participants, the students present and also their teachers for the great performances, and motivated them to stay focused because they are the future of Ghana. He also stated that they are among the best schools in Kumasi .

After the event the Patriots, interacted with the teachers and the children and thereafter visited the office of the headmaster to thank him for the support and also discussed future collaborations for educative and developmental projects and events.

Patriots Ghana appreciates the efforts of all the members that made the event a success and invites everyone else to join, so we can develop our dear country and nurture the future leaders.

PATRIOTS GHANA KNUST- DEVELOPING THE NATION WITH PASSION.

Source: Emmanuel Yamoah

                President Patriots Ghana KNUST

(www.patriotsghana-knust.webs.com)

Educational Policy in Ghana 2004 by John Agyekum Kuffour

The Expression of Patriotism by the Ghanaian youth

Ghana can boast of patriotic youth both present and past such as our first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Big Six, the veterans of 1948, Dr. Kwegir Aggrey, Kofi Annan, and many others that were involved in the fight for independence and after independence. These are all people that had and have their country at heart and one way or the other due to their interest in the affairs of their country took the necessary actions. These are much respected people in our world today and they are heroes and role models for many. As to whether the youth today are as patriotic as those of the 1900’s or if it was their choice or a collective duty to Ghana for the youth in the 1900’s that’s also quite a debatable topic.

Some may also be of the view that the youth of Ghana are more interested in making quick money, social media, fashion, drugs, clubbing or fraud. Yet, there are also those belonging to the school of thought that, the youth have an urge to participate in policy making, patronize made in Ghana products, bring about innovations in relation to our culture, sense of patriotism and volunteerism, respect for the elderly and love for our country.

Personally, I think the youth of Ghana also have a strong sense of patriotism within them and this is demonstrated in how passionate we are about issues affecting the country. Examples are our love for peace and stability, justice, sense of community, respect for the elderly and compassion towards the less privileged in society. Unfortunately, this passion is not channeled appropriately in the right direction. In my observation, mostly we resort to making our concerns known on social media platforms, group discussions and arguments and television and radio shows. This even though somehow useful achieves little or no results since the leaders consider such grievances. In my own opinion it shows their love for their country only that it should be channeled to the right platform, the relevant people, using effective means and most importantly taking positive action on their own to solve the various problems on their own .It is not wholly about what they are interested in or whether they are better than their leaders but what impact are they having on their country. Advocacy, negotiation and discussions are vital but it is about time the youth look forward to resorting to identifying what they want in their communities.

It definitely will be more effective to start to do something, even if little, to implement our ideas and dreams. Together we can rise above the fear of being wrong or failing and any phobia of being different or criticized. After all, we still have priceless assets such as our time, skills and the youthful energy which can be put to very good use. The days of waiting for the government and politicians are over because it has not provided the desired result and the youth have to take up responsibilities for positive change. We have the option to be the change we want to see in our world, first by starting with ourselves and then making that change. Prior to all this, the youth have to make it a point to change the way we think, our attitudes towards development and how we perceive our communities. It is essential that the youth being the backbone begin to think positively and believe in ourselves and our country. We need to decide on what we want to do and go be it, taking into consideration the positive impact we can have on country and how we would unconsciously be developing ourselves. We should be motivated to be passionate about our country enough, to develop the love for volunteering and patriotic ways of life. We should learn to overlook the material benefits we can get, the problems or challenges we face, the actions of politicians, and what or who has started so far and start something so others can follow our lead.

That said, there should be more organizations such as Patriots Ghana (www.patriotsghana.org) and other youth friendly organizations that would provide the right platform to train, nurture, improve and harness the skills of the youth towards sustainable development. Leaders at all levels should give the youth the chance to also contribute their quota to this country no matter how small it may seem. The youth should be provided with platforms and avenues such as internships, workshops, seminars, training sessions, and exchange programs so they can acquire the requisite knowledge and skills. This is essential in the sense that “you cannot give what you do not have.

If these actions are encouraged it will surely go a long way to reduce the level of unemployment in the youth, since they would be equipped to start their enterprises, projects and organizations. It is important that, this be incorporated right from the basic school level, so that after school the youth would not be looking forward to someone employing them but would be motivated to start their own entities to employ others, support themselves and contribute to their countries development.

Furthermore, youth clubs should be established in all communities and already existing ones should be revitalized to create a very good platform for the youth of communities to volunteer, interact and have good peer influence towards development. Ghana needs the youth and the youth need their country. “wonsom! wonsom! wonyi nyimpa”, if the youth should come together, with one mind and passion for our dear motherland, believing in ourselves and our country there is nothing we cannot do. As a fellow volunteer and member of Patriots Ghana KNUST (www.patriotsghana-knust.webs.com) it is easy to notice how effective and the impact we have on how community even with the somewhat little things that we do. This can be attributed to the unity in strength, passion, like mindedness, love, energy, intellect, determination and many other remarkable qualities. We can start by doing what is necessary and then what is possible and before long we would be doing the impossible. It is time to live for a greater purpose, let us not miss what matters, we should let go of the irrelevant connections and attachments and reach out.

Arise Ghana Youth!!!

Article By: Emmanuel Yamoah

                        Patriots Ghana KNUST