By: Gabriella Koroma
During a conducted tour of various Car Wash projects in the Western area by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, over 1000 Youths and surrounding communities (within the Western Rural and Western Urban) on Tuesday 17th March 2020 commended the Ministry for the implementation of Car Wash and Services Project. This tour was undertaken to access the impact made so far since the implementation of the project. A cross-section of journalists was among the touring team.
Speaking during the tour, Mohamed Orman Bangura, Minister of Youth Affairs, stated that the Car Wash Project and Services is one of the Ministry’s flagship project, adding that there are young people who believe in having their daily bread, so this project has helped them to create jobs for themselves. He further stated that apart from the ten completed car wash centres built so far, they have also secured bids for the construction of 27 more centres, which will, in turn, create jobs for over 1,300 youths across the country.
Orman Bangura stated that it is difficult to have someone to repair your flat tire at night and that is why the Car wash centre will go along with equipment, so as to provide service facilities, like repairing of tires and mini-marts to help sustain them.
He also disclosed that the Ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with all the Centers and that they are responsible for whatever is missing in any car that comes to these centres for servicing etc. This, he maintained has allayed the fears of car owners, as the youths will be serving as security for the vehicles.
“The car wash centre is creating jobs and adding value to what they are doing, and this is the reason for the provision of a standard building and equipment and training of the youths to handle the equipment. It has always been difficult to start, but there is a great improvement, gone are the days when young people lag behind in development, they are now partners in development, and we have restored confidence and trust in people of higher positions to visit the Centers,” he said.
In the area of sustainability, the minister stated that 10% of the income will go to the ministry for maintenance of the equipment and renovation of the facilities, whilst the rest goes to the youths.
He said that the “President is committed to improving the lives of young people and gone are the days when we consider young people to be a liability to the state, that is why he has appointed young people in positions of trust.” Sierra Leone, he furthered has the youngest Presidency in the Sub Region, referencing the ages of President Bio and Vice President Juldeh Jalloh.
He added that the centres will reduce the crime rate, drug abuse, as the youths now have somewhere to sit and something meaningful to do and make money from. Minister Bangura, however, called on the young people to help in the fight against the coronavirus, just as they did in the fight against Ebola.
Bampia James Bundu, Communication Officer in the Ministry of Youth Affairs maintained that the project is based on needs assessment after consultations with youths nationwide, adding that the Car Wash is just one of the projects implemented by the Ministry, disclosing that the Ministry’s Fishing project is also helping young people in that industry.
‘‘the Minister is a young person who has a passion for the development of young people, and he is familiar with the challenges faced by young people, so he is working with all line ministries and MDAs to implement youth projects that will benefit young people nationwide’’, he said.
Mohamed Sannoh Chairman of the Progressives Youth Car Wash Center and Services Organization, Stand 17 National Stadium Stop, disclosed that they were formerly referred to as Backstreet boys based on the violence, gambling and Robbery activities that took place in that area, but the implementation of the Car wash project has helped to change that perspective. They can now take care of our families and made some savings, stressing that they were yearning for such opportunity and are determined to make good use of it.
Prince Thomas John Ogoo, Car Wash Center Regent, applauded the Government for such an initiative and called on the Ministry to look out for other areas to invest in youths.
Mohamed Koroma of Wellington Car Wash Center expressed appreciation to the Ministry but raised serious concern over the shortage of water at the Eastern part of Freetown, which he said is really a challenge to them.
At Grafton, the Community members commended the Ministry of Youth Affairs for such initiative, as it has transformed the youths from bad boys to responsible young men. The car wash project, they maintained, has helped to bring about sanity in the community.
