Voluntary Service, An Arena Of Unquantifiable German Support For West Africa
Participants of the Germany Volunteers Conference in Accra, Ghana have commended Germany’s unrequited action under the ”Weltwarts” West Africa program which tackles societal issues such as mental health, and those captured by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
Human deployments to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon get a briefing on security, health, and tourist attractions before proceeding on their intended activities which relevant agencies in the host countries are notified.
Under mental health, patients, victims, and potential victims are supported with a myriad of interventions such as basic medicines, counseling, material assistance, and complementing both public and private sector initiatives in say provision of shelter and education for rehabilitated or needy people.
The German response to mental health systems is part of a wider action situated in the SDGs. Germany deploys voluntary workers to the workstations within the spectrum for positive turnaround or improvement. They visit institutions to interact with role players or focal persons in fields such as health, education, environmental protection, and social welfare.
In all their dealings, the volunteers seek to understand the situation and develop a situational report, and these are delivered as feedback to their sponsors for remedial action. Some of the findings are co-opted by governmental and non-governmental agencies to address challenges related to poverty alleviation and development.
Therefore, at the Accra conference, social welfare and care-giving institutions are well-represented. Ghana has several orphanages, and few psychiatric hospitals, whereas geriatric facilities are almost non-existent.
In the opposite stream of the volunteer service is the German Government’s sponsorship of selected West Africans to Germany. Known as the South-North Component, the reverse action was triggered by the Germans who observed the success of the North-South agenda. The Africans at the Accra, Ghana ”weltwarts” conference called on sponsors to increase their slots in Germany since the opposite-directional drifts are heavily lopsided, meaning less exposure for the Africans.
It is important to note that many African countries are fond of the technical formula of German development and that perhaps informs their desire to march to Germany for a knowledge-sharing, cultural exchange experience. To send a volunteer from the selected West African countries to Germany, one must apply through German agencies in the stated countries.