A digital innovation hub, Node Eight, has held the second edition of “The Young and Loud” Festival at Mawuli School in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.

The festival under the initiative of the Young and Safe Project of Healthy Cities for Adolescents Initiative is being implemented with a focus on creating an enabling environment to help young people to aspire to greater heights.

The Young and Safe Project was formulated to address youthful struggles such as mental health, sexual health, safety, and unemployment among others.

It seeks to encourage youth participation in city governance, sexual and reproductive health, mental health support, creative self-expression, and digital and employment opportunities.

The “Young and Loud” Festival, was, therefore, designed to serve as a one-stop centre for the youth to make inputs in governance and harness their skill potential in arts, and music among other creatives. It also serves a core objective of nurturing these identified skills to enable the youth to contribute to the development of Ho.

This year’s festival, which saw larger participation from basic and second-cycle schools and the general public in and around the Ho Municipality, featured almost everything that would make the world fun for teenagers.

The event, which was in three folds, was ushered in with a boot camp where participants were exposed to the operations of Node Eight, its objectives and aspirations.

The camp also provided career guidance to enlighten participants about what they should consider when selecting a profession, and what to look out for in the practicing field.

Participants after going through the session made informed decisions on their career choices, hoping to contribute to making the world a better place.

“I want to be an architect so I can design nice buildings for those who are struggling in the world. I want to bring up new ideas so the world will be a nice place for us to stay”, said a student of Mawuli School.

The Young and Wild Festival also featured an art studio where participants had their faces painted with various designs. It also provided an opportunity for those interested in arts to try their hands and sharpen their skills.

Some new fun elements introduced included electronic and outdoor games. They were provided to serve as a conduit for participants to socialize and discuss ideas that would contribute positively to the city’s overall vibe.   

A talent show rounded up outdoor activities for the Young and Wild Festival birthed by Node Eight to help nurture the younger generation and help them imbibe the requisite needs for today’s digital and innovative world.

The third and final part which was the climax featured competitions in spoken word, dance, music, and arts, with participants exhibiting their dexterity and knowledge in the various categories.

The stage was also used to trumpet challenges in the adolescent world. Some artistes outlined rampant small-scale mining, unemployment, hunger, high utility tariffs, housing deficit and general hardship as issues they want to be tackled by the next government.

Deserving talents were identified and would be provided with the needed guidance to improve their talents to become professionals and rake in some cash to support their livelihoods.