15 TRAINED UNEMPLOYED YOUTH RECEIVE KITS (PAGE 20, NOV 25)

SIXTY selected unemployed youth, including 15 women from Dormaa East District and Dormaa West Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region who have undergone management training courses in various vocations, have been presented with start-up kits worth GH¢18,000.
A total of 450 graduate apprentices have so far received such training in the area since the project started in September, 2003.
They learnt hairdressing, tailoring, dressmaking, auto mechanics, welding, bicycle repairs, blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, leather works, shoemaking, electricals and electronics.
The Rural Enterprises Project (REP) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), organised and financed the programme through the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and supported by the Dormaa Municipal Assembly.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at Dormaa Ahenkro, the Head of the BAC in the area, Mr I.A. Antiri said the objective of the project was to reduce poverty and empower the rural unemployed youth, especially women, adding that the project was demand-driven.
He stated that as part of their training, the beneficiaries were also taken through records keeping, banking culture, group formation and credit management.
Mr Antiri gave the assurance that BAC was well positioned to provide technical and managerial advice on whatever business anyone thought of engaging in free-of-charge, adding that there were many advantages as far as the centre was concerned.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Dormaa, Mr Vincent Obeng Asamoah cautioned the beneficiaries not to sell the kits they had been given but use them for the purpose for which they were provided.
He said since the basic aim of the project was to reduce poverty, they should also offer similar training to other unemployed youth in the area so that they could also address their poverty challenges.
Mr Asamoah added it was the aim of the Government to assist the unemployed youth in the country.
The assembly member for Nkrankwanta Electoral Area, Mr Charles Adomah expressed his appreciation to the benefactors for the gesture, saying the items would go a long way to solve their poverty problem.
The Secretary of the Dormaa branch of the Tailors and Dressmakers Association, Mr Charles Yeboah, gave the assurance that the beneficiaries would make good use of the items they had received and also provide training for others.
A beneficiary, Ms Anna Appiah on behalf of her colleagues, thanked REP and BAC for the offer and pledged they would make good use of the machines to improve on their poverty levels.