Afrikids Ghana train more youth in Upper East

Friday 28th December, 2012

Zuarungu (U/E), Dec. 28, GNA - Afrikids Ghana and Centre for Youth Development, both NGOs on Thursday presented start-up kits to 35 youth trained in various vocational modules at Zuarungu.

In addition to the donation, the entire training cost of the youth who underwent two to three years training in vocational modules including hairdressing, masonry, carpentry, metal works, dress making among others cost of training, were paid by Afrikids Ghana whilst CYD facilitated the process.

Speaking at the function, Mr David Awane, the Centre Manager, urged the grandaunts to exhibit professionalism at their work places to enable them attract more customers and to also engage others to train them to become self-reliance.

He commended Afrikids Ghana for the support saying apart from the vocational modules which seek to help school drop outs particularly at the Junior High Schools it also partnered with his outfit to open Grace Preparatory School, a basic school at Zuarungu.

He said had it not been the basic school most of the school children at that time would have not been school since there were few schools which were also far from the communities.

Mr Awane  said the school which  started with  5 orphans  now includes a Kindergarten, Primary, Junior High School and an ICT centre with a total population of  600 saying that the Centre through the support of Afrikids also supported 250 orphans with female  goats  to rear for their upkeep.

“The Centre has also supported one hundred and seventy six   deprived parents  with micro finance through Afrikids Ghana who are taken good care of their children in the school”

Mr Awane said one of the major challenges confronting the School was inadequacy of infrastructure and teachers and appealed to the Ghana Education Service to assist the school with  professional teachers and the necessary infrastructure to complement the school infrastructure Afrikds  Ghana had provided over the years.

Ms Easter Akaere, a 22-year old beneficiary of the Vocational Module in Seamstress, said “I am already getting a lot of customers. Had it not been with the support of Afrikids Ghana support I would have gone to Kumasi to be engaged as head potter and anything could have happened to me. Thank God that I am now self-reliant and can support my family. I have also engaged three people whom I am training”

Master Nyaba Martin, also 22-year old and beneficiary of the Vocational Trade Module who had learnt  trades in electrical, said “  I am now  able to get jobs which gives me  enough money to  take good care of my sisters in school and also provide money for the  household cooking.”

Mr Raymond Ayinne , External Affairs Manager of Afrikids Ghana, reiterated the need for the  GES to provide  more classrooms for the school and   more computers for the   ICT centre  and indicated that Afrkids Ghana  had over the years also supported school children with  text books ,  exercise  books , school uniforms and had also supported the school to organize School Performance Appraisal Meetings making the school one of the best in terms of academic performance.

This, he noted, had led to the increase in enrollment of the school since every parent wants to send his child to the school adding that if the school is expanded and provided with adequate teachers it would help cater for them.

GNA