Berekum, November 16, 2022
A District Organizer of the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) has expressed worry about the situation of recruiting management and permanent staff from outside population than within the large cohort of it volunteers with the Society.
Mr. Kweinortey Blemano (Nii), the Berekum Municipal District Organiser of the Society in the Bono region hinted the situation was “one of the major contributory factors dwindling volunteerism interest and volunteer sustainability in the Society”.
He expressed the concern in an interview with the media at Berekum, stating that in the past decades, no volunteer has graduated through the ranks to management position in the Society because the criteria had always given preference to the wider labour market.
Mr. Blemano (Nii) therefore stressed critical need for the GRCS recruitment bodies to consider and recruit from within the Society to sustain the decades volunteerism enthusiasm.
According to him, a volunteer could realize his or her services has been rewarded when the person gained a full-time job within the National Society which many more volunteers will then be willing to serve longer time in anticipation of becoming a full-time staff of the GRCS one day.
“I am very grateful to our current President, Lawyer Gyimah Kwame-Akwafo and his Management Board for at least the first-time employing a volunteer into such a high office of the National Society since it’s establishment in Ghana in 1958”.
This move, in his opinion would highly rekindle and restore the needed voluntary spirit back into the Society for the remaining volunteers to work hard for the growth, quality services and sustainability of the Red Cross as an organization in Ghana.
Mr. Blemano (Nii) said an Act of Parliament establishes the GRCS as an auxiliary to Government, with the mandate to intervene in emergency response and in peace time, contribute to improving people livelihoods through quality health care services delivery during developmental programmes.
The spirit of volunteerism was then very high amongst its membership, particularly the youth who formed a majority and contributed a lot to live saving and developmental activities through total commitment and understanding, he explained.
He worried the services of the Society is no longer attractive to the youth and even people within the GRCS now a days and affecting their services to the communities and Ghana in general.
He therefore pleaded with the authorities to identify the hardworking, experienced, and dedicated volunteers to be given the node when there exists an opportunity to recruit into the GRCS.
Writer’s email( ttchrietoph1@gmail.com)