Paynesville – The Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched the ‘National Youth Taskforce Against COVID-19’ as part of efforts to help contain the spread of the coronavirus in Liberia.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
The task force comprises members of several youth groups including the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), the Mano River Youth Parliament, Liberia’s Chapter, Liberia National Student Union (LINSU) and the Messenger of Peace.
At the official launch of the task force on Thursday, March 26 at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Paynesville, Youth and Sports Minister, Zeogar Wilson called on the young people to muster the courage and join the fight against the global pandemic.
Minister Wilson said the launch of the task force is part of outreach activities of the Special Presidential Advisory Committee on Coronavirus (SPACO) convened by President Weah to lead the fight against the virus.
As SPARCO’s Director responsible for outreach, Minister Wilson noted that it was befitting to include the young people in the process.
In the coming days, the Minister disclosed that the task force will be in several communities distributing sanitary materials including bleach/chloride, soap, and buckets, among others to promote handwashing as part of efforts in containing the coronavirus in Liberia.
“As you go into these various communities that will be identified by yourself, we urge you to spread the message, distribute the buckets, chloride, soap and all the anti-coronavirus materials. I am confident that, together we will defeat this virus,” Minister Wilson encouraged the task force members.
Minister Wilson was flanked by heads of the various youth organizations that made up of the taskforce.
The president of FLY, Amos Williams thanked Minister Wilson for his effort in the formation of the task force and said his action demonstrates his adherence to the global call for youth inclusion in decision making.
Mr. Williams called on all line ministries to emulate the Ministry of Youth and Sports to include the young people in their respective activities geared towards combating the coronavirus.
He also made a passionate appeal to all youth organizations across the country to get involved in the fight against the virus, adding that it is the youthful population that is highly affected by the crisis owing to the high unemployment rate and their vulnerability.
“As we face the virus, there is one group of people that seems to be highly affected, and that is the young people because they are unemployed and vulnerable,” he said.
“We call on all line ministries to emulate the Ministry of Youth and Sports and also call on development partners to support the Ministry to help the young people create awareness all over the country.”
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Mano River Youth parliament, Liberia’s Chapter, Mohammed Massaley called on young people to do away with the myths associated with COVID-19, adding that young people are not immune to the virus.
He pledged to collaborate with the various chapters of the region in creating awareness against the pandemic.
“Young people are not immune. We all can be affected. So, stop the myths and get involved in the fight against this virus,” Massaley urged.
The President of LINSU, Mohammed Gandhi Kamara affirmed his institution’s commitment to the exercise and called on students across the country to abide by the safety measures instituted by the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia.
For her part the Chief Executive Officer of the Messenger for Peace, Ms. Gwendolyn Myers stated that the pandemic is a threat to the peace and security of the state, and it was incumbent on the young people to wake up and join the fight in containing the menace.