AIMS / OBJECTIVES
1. To serve as the mouthpiece for the youth in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District and to
Promote advocacy for youth development.
2. To enhance the interest of the youth in developmental projects in the District.
3. To enhance co-operation, understanding and friendship among the youth in the District
4. To contribute to developmental projects in the District (e.g. Education and Recreation,
Environmental and Health issues, HIV/AIDS, Drug Abuse, etc)
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PROGRESSIVE YOUTH CLUB
The Progressive Youth Club is a Community Based Organization based in Winneba. Winneba is small town in Ghana, and it lay just some 45 minutes drive away from the nation’s capital. Since its birth on 3rd January 2003, has undertaken a number of programmes in Winneba. This ranges from community services, adolescent sexual reproductive health issues, campaign against HIV/AIDS and Substance abuse.
Our achievements are as follows:
A DAY HIV/AIDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN WINNEBA
THEME: THE YOUTH IN THE HIV/AIDS ERA WHICH WAY?
12TH ,13TH 14TH MARCH 2004
Friday 12th March 2004
Progressive Youth Club on this day together with the former Member of Parliament for Winneba, Mr. Mike Allen Hammah, undertook a clean-up exercise in Winneba. The theme for the programme was “LETS KEEP OUR ENVIRONMENT CLEAN.” All who witnessed it welcomed the exercise and joined as. We also invited environmental health workers to give lectures on the need to keep the environment clean that is, to do away with malaria, cholera, etc.
Saturday 13th March 2004
The Club organized an HIV/AIDS programme on the theme: “ THE YOUTH IN THE HIV/AIDS ERA - WHICH WAY? This programme attracted more than 200 participants who were mostly school children from Winneba and neighbouring towns and villages. The chairman for the programme was the then Member of Parliament for Winneba.
Resource persons who were invited to lecture at the occasion included:
Mr. G.F.Acquah (The HIV/AIDS Focal Person for our District) he spoke on the theme from the medical point of view.
The second speaker, Mr. Ankrah (from the Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana, and is also a parent) also spoke on the theme from the Parental point of view.
The third and the last speaker, Reverend Benito Okoro (Head Pastor of the International Central Gospel Church in Winneba) also spoke on the theme from the religious point of view. After the programme resolved to do things the right way when they interviewed by media.
Sunday 14th March 2004
A football gala was organized to climax the three-day event. A trophy, which was donated by the Progressive Youth Club, was at stake and it was contested for by eight (8) youth organizations all based in Winneba. The Gala was dubbed “INTER CLUBS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIV/AIDS CUP COMPETITION.”
The main objective for this football competition was to unite the youth to fight against the deadly pandemic, AIDS. We strongly believe that football all over the world has contributed immensely to world peace so it was logical we adopt the same strategy to bring the youth together to fight for a common cause. As we all know, people, especially the youth learn so much from each other when they come together.
The eventual winners of the competition were the Progressive Youth Club, the organizers of the programme. Mr. Victor Tieku, the Managing Director of Kampsite Salt Limited based in Ghana, and Director of Programmes of Project Global, a Non - Governmental Organization based in USA, presented the trophy to the Club.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
PROVISION OF PHONE BOOTHS
Winneba, which is close to nations capital, lacked enough telephone facilities. There were only a handful of phone booths in the Winneba metropolis. The sad aspect of it is that it got to a time when before one could make an international call, the one need to go to the premises of Ghana Telecom in Winneba. Various appeals to our local leaders to resolve the situation because we are in the 21st Century fell on deaf ears until we decided to pursue it ourselves.
Today we can proudly say that we are responsible for more than 100 phone booths that were brought to Winneba. This we did through an appeal to the then Member of Parliament of Winneba, the Hon. Minister of Communication, and the Country Director of Ghana Telecom. Today in Winneba, every 500 meters you go, you will meet a phone booth.
TUESDAY 1ST JULY 2004
HOLIDAY GET-TOGETHER
This day was a public holiday in the Republic of Ghana. Normally on days like these, a lot of people go the beach to enjoy their selves. This is when people, especially the youth engage in all kinds of social vices. Name it from smoking, drinking alcohol, and many of the girls also fall victim to sexual harassment, etc. this when some of the ignorant youth learn how to do all these bad habits. The end result is always rape, teenage pregnancy, etc.
To do away with this problem, the Club organized a beach jamboree at a virgin beach that was discovered by some members of the club 20 minutes drive away from Winneba. Most parents applauded this because it reduced the number of unfortunate incidence that characterised such events.
2 DAY CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIV/AIDS
THEME: ABSTINENCE, THE SUREST KEY TO AN HIV/AIDS FREE GHANA
28TH 29TH OCTOBER 2004
This programme was initially supposed to be a 3-Day programme that will include an HIV/AIDS Campaign Walk with Policy Makers of our District but could not materialise due to lack of funds. This programme is to encourage and urge the youth of today to change their sexual lifestyles.
FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2004
The programme was in two folds. The first was a Drama entitled “LETS DO IT”, and the second was a Talk and Forum with the topic “IS SEX A GUARANTEE FOR A SUCCESSFUL BOY/GIRLFRIEND RELATIONSHIP?
This programme was attended by a host of school children that contributed a lot to the programme in terms of suggestions and asking of questions.
The Golden Hands Youth Foundation, a Community Based Organization also based in Winneba, performed the Drama, entitled “LETS DO IT”.
SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER 2004
2ND INTER CLUBS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIV/AIDS CUP COMPETITION
We came to realise that the youth of Winneba like sports especially football very well. When there is a football match, people come from all walks of life to witness it so that is where we get most of our target groups. With ten (10) youth organizations competing in this event, we had over five hundred (500) spectators.
Before the opening match, the Executive Director of GREENAID - GHANA, a Non-Governmental Organization based in Winneba urged the youth to abstain from indiscriminate sex acts. This was re-echoed by the District Youth Co-ordinator of our District, Awutu-Effutu-Senya.
The competition, which was a much-improved one from the first edition, had ten (10) youth clubs participating. Again, the defending champions, Progressive Youth Club won. The Executive Director of GREENAID-GHANA presented the trophy to them.
The club is has been adjudged by District Secretariat of the National Youth Council as the “MOST VIBRANT YOUTH ORGANIZATION IN THE DISTRICT”
Our innovativeness and achievements won the admiration of leaders of other youth organizations in the district and elected our president as the Chairman of the Federation of Youth Associations of Ghana (FEDYAG), which is an advisory body to the National Youth Council in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District.
The President was also appointed by the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly to join a team of research assistance who collected data for the District Assembly on an Integrated Sexually Reproductive Health (SRH) project for the Prevention and Control HIV/AIDS in the District in August 2004.
The President was also appointed to represent NGO’s and CBO’s in the District at a Ministry of Local Government And Rural Development organized HIV/AIDS Strategic Planning Workshop For District And Regional Teams.
Finally, he was appointed as one of the trainers for a Youth Mock Assembly organized by the African Youth Alliance (AYA) and the National Youth Council.
YEAR 2005
Our first programme for this year will be in June this year. This will be a blood donation to the Winneba District Hospital.
We are however seeking for partnership and sponsorship.
