O'Neill donates computers to Akwei School

The US Secretary of the Treasury, Mr Paul O'Neill on Wednesday presented two computers and accessories and eight sewing machines valued at 6,000 dollars to Richard Akwei Memorial School in Accra.

The equipment, which was donated to the school by the Academy for Education and Development and the Washington Leland Initiative, are to help expand and equip the students with vocational skills, especially in sewing and graphic designing.

The Richard Akwei Memorial School management initiated the vocational project to address the high rate of youth unemployment. Funds came from the government of Ghana, the African Development Bank and the United States Agency for International Development. It is aimed at equipping Junior Secondary School pupils and school dropouts with employable skills to enable them to gain employment or start their own businesses.

There are currently more than 8,000 pupils from nearby schools and 15 school dropouts undertaking courses in leatherworks, needlework and food and nutrition at the institute. Mr O'Neill expressed the hope that the equipment would help the children to develop their creative ability. Paul "Bono" Hewson, who accompanied the Secretary, said aid could be a factor in speeding up development.