BRISTISH COUNCIL AND VIDEO WAVES ONE MONTH PROGRAMME ENDS

PATRICK DUKE OTEH

BRITISH COUNCIL AND VIDEO WAVES INTERNATIONAL

      The British Council, in conjunction with Video Waves International, in its efforts at sustaining Peace and Conflict Resolution among youths in Nigerian communities, embarked on a programme titled: "Gyara Kayanka" - Acting Together Project.

      “Gyara Kayanka” is aimed at using drama as a vehicle to engage the minds of youths on the need to shun violence and see the gains of being self-reliant and self-employed.

According to Mr. Livinus Otteh, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Video Waves International, who is also the Project Director of the Stage Drama,  “Gyara Kayanka” which literally means, "Put Yourself In Order", is an offshoot of a bigger programme created by British Council Nigeria tilted, “ACTING TOGETHER’’; a program that encourages communities and individuals to tolerate one another despite their differences and most importantly, the need to shun violence by all means.

     The main objective of the programme; “Gyara Kayanka” is ensuring sustainable peace in the various communities and its people as it is considered that youths are at the helm of almost every crisis, in Nigeria and the world over, the Project Director stated. 

PATRICK, ABUBAKAR AND LIVINUS OTTEH

Speaking on the choice of Makera/Kurmi Gwari/Kakuri, Mr. Livinus disclosed that Video Waves International decided to work with the youths of these communities in a bid to find out what were the causes of crisis in their areas.

      Unemployment, according to the prolific movie director, is one of the major causes of youths taking to crime and criminality which, through the stage drama, “Gyara Kayanka” an insight was created to showcase to the youths of the participating communities on how to become self-reliant and self-empowered financially and also, not allow themselves be misguided and misused.

        The representative of National Directorate of Employment Kaduna State, Mallam Sani Maiwada in his address, advised the youths to take advantage of the opportunities that abound within their various communities and should not hesitate to approach the NDE with their proposals  as government is desirous of supporting youths to becoming self-dependent and self-reliant.

       One of the best ways available to reduce the menace of unemployment amongst youths which is a major catalyst to violence in communities is for the youths to go into skill acquisition.

        This, according to some of the Peace and Conflict Resolution experts at the workshops that preceded the programme, would refocus the anger of the youths on activities that are profitable to them and their immediate families and, communities without involving in crime and criminality.

         Livinus Otteh expressed his gratitude to the British Council, Nigeria, the Kaduna South Local Government and its entire leadership, Alfacare and Dashnamak Construction Ltd for their various roles and involvement in making the whole programme a huge success.

       According to Patrick Duke Oteh, the representative of the British Council, instead of being in the control of external forces, youths should embrace opportunities that would make them self-reliant and be of better use to themselves and their communities.

      The project itself is aimed at bringing together lots of young people who first of all, never knew each other before now but have today, become friends and have undergone, a life-giving experience that will create a whole feeling of putting up a better future than what they previously were used to.

      “It has been a unique experience. The locale itself; where the project is domiciled also has its own unique problems and challenges which other areas spread across the entire Nigeria also have”, the Supervisory Artistic Director of “Acting Together Project stated.

       “Each area must now learn to resolve its own challenges within its own environment; using their own means and people to actually sensitize and educate themselves on the need the shun acts of negativity. Gyara Kayanka is a play developed locally to showcase the immense opportunities before the people at self-empowerment”.

        On what the British Council intends to achieve with the project, the representative of the British Council; Patrick Oteh says he sees “Hope”. “Hope” that there is going to be better future for the youths in the society and the generation that is coming behind, irrespective of all that has happened.

         Participants see the project as a welcomed development which is aimed at redirecting the focus and attention of the youths at becoming self-reliant and economically empowered instead of becoming tools for the political class in the promotion of negative vices that are detrimental to the society and themselves.

       To Solomon Ishaya, one of the participants of the programme, “using drama to drive home the message of the programme was exceptionally unique and a deviant from the past”.

         Ishaya gave glory to God Almighty for providing them (youths) with the wonderful opportunity and also, British Council and Video Waves International for coming up with the idea, especially with the patience and perseverance of the entire team.