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An initiative dubbed "Young in Surveying" has been launched in support of the new Academic curriculum announced by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessments seeking to introduce surveying and map building to basic schools.

The project was initiated by the Stephen Djaba Foundation to help students to understand and appreciate the concept of map-making, geography and surveying, all aimed at restoring to glory the surveying profession in Ghana.

Mr Stephen Djaba, the Founder of the Stephen Djaba Foundation and Vice President of the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, launched the "Young in Surveying," project at the Yilo Krobo Senior High School, Somanya on the theme,
"The future of surveying in Ghana: Igniting the interest of surveying in our little ones as they choose their career path."

He noted that surveying in Ghana was fading out as people in contemporary times do not understand and appreciate surveying, saying the project would help restore the glory of good surveying towards nation-building, away from theory to practicality.

He said the practical aspect of surveying in terms of good boundary demarcation, proper land use planning, and accurate site investigation among others could prevent land litigations and natural disasters such as floods and collapsing buildings.

As a result, Mr Djaba appealed to philanthropic organisations and industrial businesses for financial and technical aid to enable the Foundation to take youngsters through practical demonstrations, allowing them to gain the right to become surveyors from the beginning.

Surveying, according to Mr Samuel Larbi Darko, President of the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, was the first step of decision making in which ground or actual field information was collected to determine if the ground could handle the infrastructure intended to be created.

He said hospitals, schools, and roads could not be built without the services of a surveyor and that the fields of surveying included engineering surveying, mining surveying, land surveying, hydrographic surveying, and geodetic surveying.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Francis Ebenezer Doku, Board Chairman of Yilo Krobo Senior High School, noted that surveying had been kept in the dark for a long time, despite the fact that the surveying profession gave more work chances even after retiring at the age of 60.

He urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to make mapping and surveying a fundamental topic in Senior High Schools for students to graduate with employable skills.

He praised the school's 2021 class for achieving exceptional progress while the school was still in its early stages.

“I believe with the right direction the school would be pushed forward to gain its past glory of being among the best business schools across the country," he said.

Madam Veronica A. Tetteh, Yilo Krobo Municipal Director of Education, stated that her organisation would collaborate closely with the Foundation in its operations to guarantee that all students in Eastern region benefited.

Mr Eric Tetteh, Yilo Krobo Municipal Chief Executive, and other persons offered to provide financial assistance to any student who chose to pursue surveying as a programme at the Ghana Institute of Surveyors or any other university.