Accra, Jan 15, GNA - The youth have been urged not to underestimate their contribution towards nation building since they can do a lot to improve the lives of each other to make the country a better place for all to live in.

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister for Education, Youth and Sports (YES) said this when addressing a 22-member delegation made up of students and lectures from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work (USA) in Accra on Thursday.

He said the youth are an important segment of the population and their development should be paramount to the overall national development. The delegation is in the country to offer assistance to a number of orphanages.

Mr Baah-Wiredu thanked the delegation for the donations and services given to the three organizations - Street Academy, Catholics Action for Street Children (CASC) and Children in Need, all based in Accra by painting their facilities to improve their surroundings.

He asked the delegation to carry back with them to their country the warmness and hospitality of the Ghanaian people and hoped that the visit would be the beginning of fruitful relationship, which would blossom into something big in the near future.

The minister later presented souvenirs to members of the delegation.

Mrs Randi Buerlien, Director of Student Service of the University who led the delegation thanked the minister for hosting them and "expressed her gratitude for all who made their stay in the country a truly memorable one".

The delegation during its stay in the country, in addition to the painting services offered to the three outfits further made donation of drugs, clothing and a computer at a total cost of 3000 dollars to the organizations.

The delegation, which is on a two-week visit, was made up of 17 students, two lectures and two alumnae of the Virginia Commonwealth University.

Present at the ceremony were Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of State at the ministry of YES, Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Atta Lartey, Proprietor of the Street Academy and representatives of CASC and Children in Need.