Youth-Nigeria - For a country that wastes its resources on avoidable confusion, the strides some members of the National Youth Service Corps make in their assignments spread rays of hope about a future where younger people can assume responsibilities to ensure a better Nigeria. Stephen Jideani, an NYSC member in Delta State, pooled resources for scholarships and educational materials for orphans and indigent students from three communities where he is serving. By his last count, 50 students benefitted from the scheme he funds from his allowance and donations. The communities are Ogwuashi Ukwu, Issele Azagba and Asaba.

"I had the courage to trek down to the rural communities in search of the students who are orphans. I want my fellow corps members, particularly those coming after us, to pick up such courage when they are serving. They should go down to the down trodden in the society," said Jideani.

Among things taken for granted in this society are poverty levels and the impact poverty has on literacy. Poor are so poor that they cannot buy exercise books or school uniforms for their children. It does not matter that the total cost of the items may not exceed N1, 000 - the truth remains that they do not have the money.

In such settings, little financial investments in the future of the people make deep impacts. While government interventions require billions of Naira, with thousands of Naira, some of these problems can be solved.

There are countless examples of how the selflessness of corps members has been influencing their communities. People remember the things that are done outside the call of duty. Examples from corps members prove that a lot can be done to change the society through individual commitment, not minding how small it seems.

Corps members, in some places, have started educational programmes in their communities. Two years ago, some corps members used their resources to build a library, equipped with computers, for a village outside Abuja. Others have been known to embark on water projects, renovation of schools and improving the sanitary conditions of their localities.

Prisoners in Jos still remember a corps member who started adult education sessions for them. He left two years ago. After his departure, the programme died, and with it, the hopes of some of the prisoners who were already anticipating certification of their literacy.

A lot can be made out of the NYSC programme. Those who call for its scrapping, rating it irrelevant, do not know the effect of the services of these young Nigerians on society. More efforts, however, are required in improving the programme and enlisting the commitment of those involved in it.

Community development was meant to be the fulcrum of the NYSC programme. It should be revived. Rural Nigeria will benefit immensely from NYSC programmes that channel the energies of corps members to worthy rural development initiatives.

The NYSC should invent ways of harnessing the initiative of these youth and can engage them to sustain these projects beyond their service years.

Vanguard/11/02/2011