ICU members donate blood to Korle Bu

About 200 members of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress in the Greater Accra Region have donated blood to the National Blood Service Ghana (NABSG) to replenish stock at the Korle Bu Blood Bank.

The initiative, which is part of the social responsibility of the union, was also part of activies to mark the International Youth Day.

The voluntary donors were staff of various organisations such as the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), and New Times Corporation (NTC).

International Youth Day

The International Youth Day, which is celebrated worldwide in August every year, was instituted by the United Nations to recognise the important role the youth play in national development.

It is celebrated to also create awareness among the youth of their potential as future leaders to help groom them.

The Senior Blood Donor Recruitment Officer of the National Blood Service Ghana, Mrs Joyce Oppong-Adu, said an initiative such as the one taken by the ICU was very important because it focused on saving lives.

She said the blood donated in that one exercise could save over 200 lives, adding that the blood bank was always in need of blood because demand was always higher than supply.

Youth Day

Delivering an address at a ceremony to celebrate the 2015 International Youth Day by the ICU in Accra, the Deputy General Secretary of Operations of ICU, Mr Morgan Ayawine, described the youth as the collateral for nation building.

He underscored the need for the implementation of a viable policy that would curb the problem of unemployment facing the youth.

That, he said, was essential to the socio-economic growth of the country since the prosperity of the nation was pivoted and dependent on the capacity of the youth.

He appleaded to the government to, as a matter of urgency, solve the increasing unemployment among graduates of tertiary institutions.

The Head of Gender and Youth Desk, Mrs Christine Asante, urged the youth to exploit the good opportunities that came their way to enable them to acquit themselves creditably in every sphere of human endeavour.

She also advised them to imbibe moral discipline.

Donor

A staff member of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mrs Patience Benyarku, who said it was her 10th time of donating blood, expressed the belief that the blood she had given out would save the life of someone who was in dire need of it.

She encouraged potential donors to come forward and give out blood to save lives.