Trust gives start-up capital to graduates

Kumasi, Jan 20, GNA - The Sinapi Aba Trust, a financial Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has in the last five years trained about 900 youth across the country to acquire various employable skills under its Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YAP).

The beneficiaries ranged from school drop-outs, prostitutes to the under-privileged and were trained in batik, tie and dye, soap-making, marketing, packaging, weaving, hairdressing, dressmaking, masonry, carpentry and catering.

Mr Thomas Appiah-Mensah, Programme Co-ordinator of the Trust, announced this at the presentation of start-up capital ranging from 100 to 500 Ghana Cedis to 18 under-privileged youth who had benefited from the YAP at a ceremony in Kumasi.

The beneficiaries as part of the programme were presented with documented business plans to guide them as they venture into the market. Mr Appiah-Mensah indicated that the credit facilities dubbed: "Ashasepa Loan" is part of the management's decision to cushion beneficiaries of the YAP to help overcome major challenges such as initial capital financing of their businesses.

The Programme Co-ordinator said, to make up for the capacity building interventions which was a key component of the YAP, the Trust organises sexually transmitted infections and diseases education to allow for the beneficiaries to lead a disciplined and healthy lives as they create wealth. He announced that the goal of the programme was to improve the quality of life of young people through the provision of income-earning opportunities, entrepreneurial training and education, and urged corporate bodies as well as NGOs to be committed to augmenting government efforts in job-creation to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.