In November last year, the first cohort of YoLe was inaugurated to provide a platform for professional skills building, innovation, and leadership among some selected graduates from tertiary institutions in Ghana.

Mr Niyi Ojuolape, the UNFPA Ghana Country Director, said the initiative was introduced to primarily create opportunities within UNFPA Ghana for innovation, policy development for programmes, and for management.

He noted that the second cohort made up of 14 females and seven males young people, is an increment from the first cohort fellows who were 16.

He said the programme also aimed at helping young people to own their skills and innovation in leadership from diverse areas, noting that it offered young people the opportunity to work with the United Nations through its Agencies.

Mr Ojuolape said the fellowship stood on a few platforms including the provision of training for the fellows in and out of the office as well as getting facilitators from within the Country Office and outside the Country Office.

He commended Ecobank Ghana and the UBA for being supportive to the fellowship in its inception stage and for still pledging continues support for the young people.

Ms Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, the UN Resident Coordinator, commended the UNFPA for introducing the initiative, which supported the UN Secretary General's vision for the youth.

Quoting Mr António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, she said: "Young people are our greatest source of hope but don't be fooled. This may look like usual rhetoric but it is not".

She said the Secretary-General was of the firm belief that if the world would stand the chance to defeat some of the greatest challenges of facing humanity, it will be with and through the Youth.

This, she expressed the belief would be made possible if young people were given the opportunity to sit at the decision table, adding that it was exemplary that the UNFPA had introduced the YoLe Fellowship to offer young people opportunity to contribute their quota.

Ms Lopez-Ekra said the UNFPA fellowship was a testament to the UN's commitment to invest in the Youth massively in every possible way.

She urged the second cohort fellows to see the fellowship as an opportunity of a lifetime, embrace it, give it their maximum best and be inspired by the many people the fellowship would expose them to while also inspiring others around them in their communities.

Launching the second cohort, Dr Patrick Aboagye, the Director General of Ghana Health Service, urged the young people to take advantage of the Fellowship and use the opportunity to transform their lives and that of their neighbours.

He urged the new cohort to ensure that they do not just meet the high standards set by the first cohort of the fellowship but seek to exceed the same.

Ms Marlene Plomik, the Founder of 'Those Who Inspire' - a platform that provides an opportunity for young people to interact with inspirational figures – commended the UNFPA for the initiative as it was inspirational.

She urged the youth to freely reach out to mentors and coaches to help them in achieving their dream in any chosen field of endeavour.