The Parliament of Sierra Leone enacted the NYS Act and gazette as Vol. CXLV11. No. 17 dated 12 March 2016. Sierra Leone’s NYS, which was launched in December 2016, is a national programme that promotes youth participation in governance.

The 2016 NYS Act aims to create work opportunities and sustainable livelihoods for young persons; instill in participants a sense of responsibility and of service to the country; gain a sense of self-respect and respect for authority; understand the values of discipline, democracy, citizenship and cooperation; and foster social cohesion.

The National Youth Service (NYS) Framework, the study that led to the development of NYS Act of 2016, recognizes the role of the NYS in the social mobilization and capacity-building of the youth.

The NYS Framework states that youth service initiatives should broadly encompass the following:

• Develop skills, knowledge and the ability to make a better transition into adulthood;
• Provide a vehicle for national development in different areas of deployment;
• Introduce capacity-building programmes for leadership;
• Facilitate youth-driven poverty alleviation programmes;
• Make community service an integral part of tertiary education and the school curriculum and expand it to reach community service needs;
• Create a spirit of nationalism and patriotism among the youth population, thereby helping to eliminate prejudices about fellow citizens of Sierra Leone.
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