As the youth of Nimba celebrated National Youth Day (NYD) October 29, 2008 in Nimba County, several physically impaired youth received clutches from Nimba County Youth Development Association (NICOYODA). The donation was to enable them to join their friends in the celebration.

On receiving a pair of clutches, one of the recipients burst into tears for the struggle he had undergone without good clutches to join his friends in playgrounds or during celebrations.

“I am crying because I did not have good clutches to join my friends during parades. On many occasions I felt isolated when my friends were celebrating and moving all around,” cried little Johnson Garteh.

During the presentation of the clutches, the Executive Director of NICOYODA, Mr. Jackson Soclor, said his organization was basically involved in working with physically impaired people in the county.

He said with such a celebration it was very necessary for all the youth to join hands and celebrate their day so his entity deemed it necessary to donate a few clutches to the youth who were unable to join their colleagues in the celebration.

The National Youth Day celebration in Nimba County was held in many of the cities and towns in the county beginning with Sanniquellie, Ganta.

In Sanniquellie, the celebration began with a parade along the main streets of the city followed by an indoor program where many prominent citizens and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Civil Affairs Coordinator in Nimba were honored for their support of youth development programs in the county. The celebration ended with football games among the various schools.

In Ganta, the celebration started with a parade and climaxed with an inter-school tournament bringing thousands of youth together.

This year's celebration was under the theme, “Youth Development and Engagement; a Must in Liberia”.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf served as a keynote speaker during the celebrations in Nimba County. Her speech was relayed through a VCD player and vibrated loud in the hall.

Meanwhile, Mr. Soclor has congratulated Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, a prominent Liberian politician, for his support of the organization, adding that it was through Dr. Tipoteh that they had been able to receive 20 clutches that they had distributed to the physically impaired of the County.

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