NGO Provides Skills Training for Girls in Upper East

Bolgatanga, Aug 31, GNA- Women's Awareness Centre (WAC), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) aimed at addressing the problem of frequent migration of young girls from the Upper East Region to the southern sector in search of menial jobs, has trained 26 girls and empowered them with seed capital to start their businesses. The 26 young women who passed out at the weekend in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, undertook a two-year training in sewing, Hairdressing, Batik, Tie and Dye making, and were each provided with the appropriate tools for their choice of trade and 200 Ghana cedis cash to set up their businesses.

Speaking at the passing-out ceremony, the Director of WAC, Mrs. Mary Bozumbil, said WAC as an NGO with the sole aim of fighting against the economic marginalization of women in Ghana, decided to establish a Skills Training School in the area to help equip girls especially school drop-outs and those who never had the opportunity to go to school, with skills that would enable them to earn a living. She explained that WAC recruited teachers and provided all the necessary logistics for teaching and learning of the respective areas of study saying the entire training course was free of charge. She expressed the hope that the skills they had acquired would empower them economically to be able to provide for themselves and their families so as to help curtail the frequent migration of young girls to the southern sectors.

Mrs. Bozumbil announced that a new programme which would have courses including Music, Cultural Dance, ICT, English, Mathematics, and Girls Soccer, would be introduced as part of the School's curriculum next academic year. She indicated that the Music would be dedicated to the late Madam Christie Azumah of Uppers International fame, and Mr. Ampofo popularly known in his time as 'Kofi Charley', a former administrator in the then Upper Region some years ago. A former Presiding Member of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Mrs. Agnes Atayila who chaired the function, commended the Director of WAC for such a laudable project in the Municipality, and said apart from creating jobs for the trainees, they would also employ people to learn under them.

She appealed to the trainees not to hesitate to train others who would want to learn from them, stressing "You should impart the knowledge acquired to others to help them to also establish their businesses". She advised them to use the start up capital given them for its intended purpose by establishing their shops and not to use it in doing anything that would not yield profit. 31 Aug 09