LIFE DURING AND AFTER NYSC; FEARS AND CHALLENGES

 

 The National Youth Service Corp(NYSC)was established in 1973 after the Nigerian civil war to involve Nigerian University graduates in nation building.The NYSC scheme is associated with some fears and challenges of getting a good accommodation, insecurity,language barrier and hostile culture. During the one year NYSC scheme,the Youths are exposed to the modes of living of people in different parts of the country and this might inculcate fears of adapting to other people's culture and traditions. Also, parents of potential Corp members as well as serving corps members are constantly afraid of going to the Northern parts of Nigeria with history of recurrent violent attacks from terrorist.

Many Corp members have often lost their lives,while others have being seriously injured and handicapped due to the numerous cases of auto crash that is associated with Nigerian roads.Its is no longer a hidden fact of history that Corp members with promising future have lost their lives in the boat mishaps of the creeks of Niger-Delta,while others have being sent to the great beyond due to the harsh weather conditions in Northern Nigeria.

 Also,another challenging aspect of Nysc scheme is Community Development Service(CDS).it is ostensible that one of the challenges in CDS is lack of mutual understanding among group members,lack of motivation by the CDS coordinators and too many lines of action/projects to be executed. However,these fears and challenges still surfaces after the one year scheme.In every thousands of youth service corps members passing out at each batches,eighty percent of them don't  know what to engage their precious life in immediately after concluding their service year.This is because,the decision of how to face the reality of life after NYSC is not preempted, rather it surface at the verge of rounding up their service year as a youth corps member.

As a serving Corp member,if you haven't started pondering what will become of your life and career after the NYSC scheme, you're already in trouble, because we live in a society where parents and guardians believe that training and assisting adolescents end the moment after their graduation from higher institutions.

Once you're out of school, you're ON YOUR OWN.Also,life after NYSC is really intricate due to undocumented millions of graduates flooding the street with the quest to secure a good job.The first question that comes to their mind is;what does life has for me after NYSC?What about those young graduates that have been roaming about the street? what and who would I depend on after NYSC?

 

In time pass and in practicum,it is a fact that there is nothing like pension for serving corps members before you were mobilized.Since life prior to Nysc offered high hopes and opportunity,so is life after NYSC. To many corps members,this one year is a year of frivolities and enjoyment.if you are in that category,perish the idea.This one year is one of the most important period in your life.It should be spent planning your future, having thoughts of where to live and what to do if there's no job in the first one or two years.

As a Corps member,I advise you to save at least 10% of your monthly allowance.You've got no choice.The first year after service is usually the most challenging of most graduates, because that's the very first time they're experiencing the reality of life.The euphoria of school and Nysc are over and the brutal reality stare them in the face.Save your money and plan your years ahead.Learn a skill.

The present economic times are challenging.Folks are losing jobs on daily basis.It takes a lot more than being a graduate to succeed.It takes planning,focus, discipline and determination to succeed.Being without a job is the worst position one can find themselves.With a little discipline and vision, impending joblessness and the accompanying depression can be avoided.Be Smart,be wise.

Name:Sandra Gbefa

State code:OS/20B/0790

Course: English and Literary Studies