It’s been a month since I got acquainted with Nsondole Youth Club. Comprising of about 30 young people, the group's vigilance during this period of Covid-19 crisis cannot go unnoticed. What the group is doing in this area is very uncommon with established community tendencies. While most people in rural areas wait on authorities to assist them, Nsondole Youth Club members are taking matters into their own hands to defy the well-known norm.
The group has been taking phenomenal steps in the group village Kumbwani to preoccupy school going youth during this period when formal schooling has been stopped. The group realizes the danger an idle youth faces in an area where culture venerates unhealthy sexual life styles. Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, meetings were held once a week. Presently, Nsondole Youth Club meets five times a week. Debate on developmental and life skills topics has been one key activity that spares the youth from indulging in risky and unproductive behaviors.
Upon noticing how the group has been priotising to help school going members, I posed to the group the idea of forming study circles. The idea considered attractive, the concerned members grouped themselves according to their class/grade and meet thrice a week to discuss different subjects. It was very easy with the flexibility of the other non-school going members to see and embrace it as their responsibility to be supervising the school going members in the course of study circles. The study circles are offering an opportunity to the school going members to be helping each other with challenging school work. Study circles seems to be the only viable option with the government's newly introduced online learning. With my connection to the secondary and primary schools, I shoulder the responsibility of linking the group with the two schools to be having access to books for them to be conducting the study circles with ease.
I have been taking an active role with the group in trying to combat the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. The youth have been sensitizing the community on the spread and preventive measures of the Covid-19. Furthermore, the group is giving a hand to their fellow community members in the installation of tip-tap hand washing technology. Seeing the group's initiative I have recently introduced it to mask sewing, taking their initiative a mile further from just an ordinary one.
This youthful folk is treading the untreaded path inspired by the desire to see the change they desire to see. The youth have chosen to be their own inspiration. My interaction and association with the group has revitalized my energy and zeal for impact. It’s of paramount importance that people should be empowered to think for themselves and desire to help themselves out before stretching their hands out to receive already packaged projects.