A Corps Member’s Passion For Community Service

The National Youths
Service Corps (NYSC) provides a veritable platform for many youth to explore their creative abilities into tangible realities.  It provides the corps members with the first litmus test for the application of post institutional training in the management of both human and natural resources.  This concept is manifest in the Community Development Service (CDS) Programme,  an intricate part of the scheme, and the few corp member who are abreast of these realities avail themselves with the opportunities to showcase their creative talents.
The story of 28 years old Thomas Abasiama Moses, a 2013 batch B Corp member posted to Community Secondary School, Umuokpa in Awka local government area of Anambra State is a demonstration of the application of multiple talents in community service.
Moses, who was born and grew up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, attended State School I, Sangana and Community Secondary School, Nkpolu,Oroworukwo, studied Public Administration at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, and graduated with distinction said, he was armed with a point agenda; “to impact, deliver, empower and create a change,” when he was posted on his primary assignment to Community Secondary School, Umuokpa.
Based on his vision, Moses, who hails from Abak local government area in Akwa Ibom State said he immediately swung into action by investigating the critical areas demanding  developmental attention in the area, and made due consultation on how to practically address them.
The centrepiece of this development objectives in the area during this service year, were youths which he believes can transform the society for good “if effectively impacted and mobilized to profligacy applaud their channels of creating”.
Moses who spoke with The Tide in an interview, said he successfully executed five projects during his service year and the projects were “innovative and targeted towards achieving the primary goals and creating local solutions to global, cultural, health and economic challenges”.
According to him, the first project he embarked upon was First Aid Training Programme.  He said he identified with 20 schools across Awka South local government of Anambra  State known for their busy metropolitan terrain with recorded cases of casualties arising from accidents involving vehicles from reckless drivers and other incidents.
He explained that the project, which was implemented under the theme, “saving life as every body’s responsibility,” was carried out through the support of Nigeria Red Cross, Faculty Advisers and the help of other corps members and 40 students and teachers were trained on how to properly administer first aid given the circumstance, and this brought about potential life savers”.
The second project embarked upon by the corper was inter-school cultural dance competition, tagged “cultural heritage”.  This project he said, drew inference from the NYSC cultural integration scheme as objectified by the mission statement of mobilizing and grooming graduated youths for the promotion of national unity, sustainable development, self reliance and leadership through the promotion of cultural values.  Drawing from the rich cultural heritage of the area, and as a member of the culture and tourism, community development service (CCDS) group, Moses said he engaged stakeholders including the Anambra State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and organised an inter- school dance competition programme for selected schools in the area, and it was captured live and given wide courage by the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS).
Another project which Moses was passionate about was the equipping of the community secondary school’s library where he carried out  his primary assignment as a literature teacher.
In carrying out this particular project; he said, he discovered that most books in the school libraries were obsolete and inconsistent with the syllabus, especially in literature and he was able to address the challenge. “The project was implemented through hard work”, I had to summarise the selected literary texts into handouts  and made duplicates for the students.
The fourth project embarked upon by the corper was excursion and facility visit for students to the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Awka.
Moses pointed out that the facility visit “was to acquaint students on technique, and processes of the electronic media and it recorded huge success and the students were drilled practically on the skills used in newscasting and other media related duties.
Also driven by the desire to boost the entrepreneur base of youths and other indigenes of the area, Moses said he embarked on a fifth project and that was the establishment of fishing business in Umueze community.  He said the project was also billed as creating self reliance among the people and revive the community faltering antecedence in agrarian prowess.
He said the project was executed through collaborative effort with the community leadership and other stakeholders, and youth were functionally engaged in the scheme.
Before the expiration of this service year, Moses said he also made moves to ensure the sustainability of the projects, and this was to engage the commitment of stakeholders of the various projects.
Most dogged commitment to entrepreneurship development and community service during this service year was not without a reward.
At the passing out parade, Moses who has AN/13B/1056 as his code number was one of the awardees showered with state honours award and cash donations.  He came 4th out of the ten best corp members for the service year.  Having completed this service year successful, Moses said he had learnt virtues of hardwork and discipline and he would not hesitate to apply them diligently in the eventual enfoldment of life.

Taneh Beemene

Corper Thomas Abasiama receiving an award