Accra, Feb. 21, GNA - Young Men Christian Association (YMCA), a Christian youth development organization, is to hold its African Alliance General Conference in Accra, to discuss issues of youth development and empowerment to give them a voice in society. The eight-day conference, which opens on May 2, will also discuss ways of harmonizing specific country projects, to ensure commonality of the projects being implemented in the various countries, discuss the way forward as well as elect new executives to run its affairs for the next two years. About 150 delegates drawn from all the 35 blocs, that constitute the African Alliance, a national body of country YMCAs will be attending the conference, which will be on the theme, "Empowering the Youth for the African Renaissance."

This is the first time Ghana will be hosting the General Conference. Mr Prosper Hoeyi, National General Secretary of YMCA Ghana, announced this after a clean-up exercise at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and its environs, organised by the YMCA and one of its international partners, Maafa Connects with Ghana (MCG). The MCG is a social work organization, made up of students from the Millennium High School of New York City, US, who are in Ghana for a nine-day visit and to participate in social work, visit some monuments as well as interact with school children.

The MCG members will visit Kumasi, to undertake environmental cleanliness activities at a clinic being built by the YMCA in the Kwabibirem District, after which they would join the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to clean the Kumasi lorry park. Mr Hoeyi said the Secretary General of the World Alliance, the overall regulatory body of all regional alliances, will also attend the conference and hold discussions with President John Atta Mills and other government officials. He said there would also be mini summits, including a youth summit, where they would discuss and submit projects and issues of their concern to the YMCA for funding and technical assistance from its partners. Mr Hoeyi said youth development was the core business of the YMCA, so would give the youth, the opportunity to present their issues "in the raw form and the conference would refine and implement them for their development".

He commended the MCG for taking part in the clean-up exercise and expressed his appreciation for its partnership with YMCA Ghana. Ms Rachael Ibrahim, leader of the MCG delegation, said even though the exercise was the MCG's first in Ghana, members were impressed at the reception they received. Ms Ibrahim said the MCG would visit Ghana again, to engage in similar exercises.

Mr Daniel Allotey, Principal Environmental Officer at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, commended the group for the exercise, saying sanitation was a challenge for the hospital because of the nature of cases it handled. "With support from organizations, such as yours, we are able to maintain the facility clean" Mr Allotey said