YAD Organizes Youth Cohesion Award Ceremony in Kenema

Action Star Youth Club (ASYC), Nyandeyama Youth in Action for Development (NYAD) and Gbo-kakjama Youth in Action for Progress (GYAP) locked horns on Tuesday and Wednesday 17/18 December respectively at the Kenema city field.  The encounter titled “Youth Cohesion Match”, attracted hundreds of youths from all nook and cranny of the eastern capital of Kenema, with football for boys and volleyball for girls.

Though the match went evenly on the first day with all contenders maintaining their prestige, ASYC was forced to leave the pitch by a universal soccer principle after it drew with NYAD and GYAP without goal. GYAP and NYAD went for the final after they closed with 1-1 in the first encounter.

ASYC girls however saved the title for volleyball by knocking down both NYAD and GYAP in the first encounters.

The match ended with penalty kicks on Wednesday 18^th December in NYAD’s favor.  The two teams proved equal in the pitch though, but GYAP’s goalkeeper failed to save the 3^rd and 4^th shuts.

ASYC girls emerged victorious for volleyball after they knocked down GYAP in both 2^nd and 3^rd rounds.

The match was a component of the Youth Sensitization Campaign Against Ethnic Voting, Religious and Cultural Discrimination project which is being implemented in the eastern headquarter by Youth in Action for Development (YAD) with funds from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) – Youth Solidarity Funds 2013.

The “Youth Cohesion Cups” were awarded on Thursday, 19^th December 2013 at a special “Trophy Award and Certification Ceremony” organized at the Summa Complex in Kenema.  Added to the trophies were the sum Le 450,000 for the first positions, Le 350,000 for second positions and Le 250,000 for third positions.  Interestingly, the match resulted with equal share of prices as none of the contenders was able to maintain a leading position in both volleyball and football.  

Awarding the Trophy and Certificates of participation, the Project Coordinator, Othman Sheriff admonished his fellow youths to remain united after the feast and to maintain the “Youth Cohesion Trophy” as an everlasting symbol of unity and friendly network among the youths of Kenema municipality.  He further requested executives of the various youth clubs to collaborate with YAD to host the “Youth Cohesion Match” once in every year.