How to Choose the Right NYSC CDS Group for You – Every corp member who has been offered a primary place of assignment must join one CDS group or another. All corp members must belong to one CDS group, where they will discharge their duties to their host community.
But the question is how do I choose the right CDS group for myself? However, how you choose your CDS group is the question that this article is here to answer for you.
So are you interested in knowing how you can choose the right CDS group that you can function on, then read this article and get the strategy on how you can achieve that.
About NYSC CDS
The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) was founded in 1973, by the former Head of State when Nigeria was still in the era of the Military government. The head of state as at then Gen. Yakubu Gowon, founded the National Youth Service Corp, as a way of fostering peace, love, and unity in the country after the Nigerian Civil War.
What does CDS mean in the NYSC program? It means Community Development Service (CDS). YNSC has four cardinal points, and CDS as it is popularly known, is one of them.
CDS is one of the cardinal points of NYSC that every corp member must belong to contribute to the development of their host communities positively.
All the corp members who are posted to a particular community form a team and belong to different CDS groups to discharge their duties to the host community throughout their service year, any corp member who fails to part in CDS is penalized according to the rules guiding them.
Aims and Objectives of NYSC
The aims and objectives of NYSC are related to the Community Development Service that corp members have to be involved in their different places of primary assignments, so based on that, let us see some of the objectives and aims of NYSC, which gives birth to CDS.
- Poster integration,
- Promote national cohesion,
- Cultural Exchange and Tolerance
- Skill Development and Employability
- Rural Development and Community Service
- Cultural Exchange and Tolerance
- National Security and Patriotism
- Bridging educational gap
- Nation-Building and Leadership Development
- Develop the skills and character of Nigerian youth.
Types of NYSC Assignment
Before I move into talking about the different types of CDS that you can belong to while in your NYSC service year, you must know that there are first of two categories of CDS, which include;
- Primary Assignment
- Secondary Assignment
Primary Assignment
This is the CDS group, whereby members are to participate in certain development projects of their host community, keeping in mind the objectives and aims of NYSC. in this category, you are expected to be actively involved in community activities such as teaching, health education, and community sensitization, which goes in line with why NYSC was founded.
Secondary Assignment
This is called a secondary assignment because here you are allowed to join any group you are passionate about. It could be a sports group or any group you like.
How to Choose the Right NYSC CDS Group for You
Choosing a CDS group can be very difficult because there are many types of CDS groups that you will fall in love with, it will take extraordinary carefulness, for you to successfully choose the right one for you. That is why is important for you to consider certain factors before you choose a CDS group.
Before you choose a particular CDS group, you must take into consideration certain factors. These factors will help you to choose a CDS group that you will like and that you put in your whole potential to work.
The factors to consider are as follows:
- Consider the needs of the community
- Consider also your interest/passion
- Consider the leadership of the group you want to join
- Check on the available CDS groups that you can join
NOTE
After you have considered the aforementioned factors, then you can choose the CDS group that you are passionate about. It must be a group that represents something that you crave and is willing to put the best of your potential, to achieve success.
Types of NYSC CDS Groups
NYSC has so many CDS groups that you can join. You can choose any group you like and join, however, before you choose the CDS group that you would like to join, here is the list of all the NYSC CDS groups that you can join:
- Sport CDS
- Road safety CDS
- Environmental Protection and Sanitation CDS
- Educational CDS
- Culture and Tourism CDS group
- Editorial and Publicity CDS Group
- Reproductive Health & HIV/AIDS Group
- Anti-Corruption CDS group
- Charity Services and Gender Group
- Agro-Allied CSD group
- Disease Management CDS group
- Drug-Free and Quality Control Group
- Service Delivery CDS group
- Millennium Development Goals CDS
- Corps Legal Aid Group (CLAG)
- Skill aquisition CDS group
- ICT CDS Group
- Corps Legal Aid Group (CLAG)
- Cultural and Tourism Group
- Education Development Group
- Service Delivery CDS Group
- Agro Allied Group
- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) CDS Group
READ ALSO:
- How to Check if Your Institution is Accredited for NYSC Mobilization
- How Long Will It Take To Get A Job After NYSC?
FAQs
Is it compulsory that all the corp members have a CDS group?
Yes, it is. All the corp members must belong to one CDS group or the other because it is through these CDS groups this cardinal point of NYSC can be achieved. Here corp members have the opportunity to interact with the members of the host community and learn their characters and their culture.
Is true that you can be punished if you refuse to attend your community development service activities?
Yes, any corp member who is absent from his or her CDS activities will be severely dealt with based on the rules guiding the group, and failure to print, which is a way of showing that you were present, will attract more punishment or even fine, as the case may be.
Conclusion
Make sure that you choose the CDS group that interests you or that you love so that you will be able to function well. Don’t join a CDS group because you see one or two of your friends there. Please ensure that you consider all the factors mentioned above.