Advantages of Serving In A Village During NYSC

One of the most frequently asked questions by Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) and newly sworn-in Corps Members is that concerning the best place to carry out the compulsory one year National Youth Service.

While many would prefer to serve in the township and ‘happening areas’ of their State of deployment, very few would choose to settle in the villages which may be far from being developed.

However, what many Corp Members do not know is that there are perks that come with serving in those remote areas which may be considered as bushes and dreaded by many.

Sure, there are going to be downsides to it, but in this article, you will get to know what makes Youth Service in the rural areas fun and interesting. Read on.

Advantages of Serving In A village During NYSC

Below are the reasons serving in Rural area is better than serving in Urban area during NYSC;

1. Cheap accommodation

You can easily get very cheap accommodation in your Place of Primary Assignment (PPA), and this means more savings for you. So, if your PPA does not offer accommodation or you aren’t okay with what they offer, you would be left with no option other than to source for accommodation on your own.

But in the township or well-developed areas, the cost of accommodation would be very high because of some factors. For instance, a standard self-contain apartment in the town may cost as much as N160,000 for a year, but in the villages, you can find good houses for as low as N1,000 per month.

Also some lucky Corp Members serving in villages get free accommodation; courtesy of the community they are posted to serve.

2. Cheap cost of feeding

The primary source of food comes from the villages. This is because of the high premium placed on agriculture by the people living in rural areas, and as a result, the food supply would be abundant for the immediate community and even enough to trade commercially.

As a Corp Member posted to a community where farming is practiced by every household, you would not only taste great delicacies but would get them at the least cost and even for free, sometimes.

If you are lucky to get a small parcel of farmland, you can also choose to grow some of these crops by yourself and bother less about getting the products from the market.

3. Reduced workload

Even though this is relative to individual Places of Primary Assignment (PPA), the workload on Corp Members serving in the rural areas is comparatively lower than Corp Members serving in the town.

For example, public schools in town normally have single classes that amount to over a hundred students or more, meanwhile, schools in rural areas may not have up to half of such number.

Analyzing the situation in view, a Corp Member serving in the former school will have a lot to do in terms of lesson note preparation and presentation, classroom control, reading and marking numerous notes because of the student population.

This would not be the case in rural schools with a scanty population, and that’s an advantage for Corp Members who choose to engage in private business practices.

4. Respect and recognition

If there is one thing that Corpers enjoy during Service year, it is the love, care, and respect shown by members of their host community.

It is true to a large extent that villagers treat visitors well, and Corp Members being Federal ‘Government pikin‘ are never an exception.

Once you familiarize and get to flow well with members of the community, you are bound to enjoy special attention and favours like free lifts (especially when you’re on the NYSC uniform), free food, free accommodation, help by members of the community and special recognition at events.

5. Opportunity to save money

If you are good at saving money or you plan to have some good savings at the end of Service year, then serving in a rural area can give you that opportunity.

Because of the reduced overall cost of living in the hinterlands, a Corp Member can comfortably save ten to fifteen thousand Naira or more, out of the thirty-three thousand Naira monthly allowance by FG every month (depending on his/her budget, expenses and financial expectations).

Also, the absence of leisure centres like Clubs, big Bars, Hotels and other places which attract heavy spending would be an advantage to a financially prudent Corp Member serving in the village, while those in town may be left with no option than to visit these places, have fun and spend more money.

These are just a few advantages of carrying out Youth Service in an interior area. If you served in a village, do well to share your experiences with us.