Ernest Best Anane
28 July 2011
Bright Generation Community Foundation, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with US-based Soccer Foundation, has organised a football tournament for youth under 14 teams at Asawase, a densely-Muslim populated community in Kumasi.
While Bright Generation community Foundation aims at providing information and services on HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, youth development, human rights and community development in Ghana, Soccer Foundation’s mission is to enhance and assist the growth of soccer in the United States, with special emphasis on underprivileged communities.
The participating teams included Owoahene F/C, Concern F/C, Barcelona F/C, Olympic F/C, Kaloum Stars F/C, and Top Rankers F/C.
The tournament was meant to promote peace and tolerance among the youth, as the 2012 general elections in Ghana approach.
Ms. Bernice Dapaah, Executive Director of Bright Generation Community Foundation, donated a set of jerseys to all the participating teams.
Executive Director Dapaah said his outfit collaborates with relevant government and non-governmental agencies for efforts at addressing challenges in communities.
She further added that the main objective of the Foundation was the facilitation of youth development through education and sports, to unearth their talents and prevent youth delinquency and reduce social vices like drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and prostitution.
The Foundation also seeks to protect the interest and rights of the vulnerable, suppressed and marginalised women in society, especially in rural areas.
“We strongly believe that sports impacts positively on the core values of tolerance, fair play, emotional intelligence, leadership and mental fitness amongst the young generation, necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st Century,” she emphasised.
Underscoring the reasons for targeting the youth at this time, Ms. Dapaah said the Foundation means to educate the youth on youth rights and social development, following a survey report on some selected communities that most of political parties use the youth in these communities to commit electoral violence.
She attributed the situation the fact that the youth were vulnerable and lacked information and education on their rights.
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