News
Welentsi Foundation helps Nungua youth acquire vocational skills
Dignitaries and the beneficiaries after the programme Photo Victor A. Buxton
Welentsi III Foundation Youth Empowerment programme have been launched in Accra with the aim of equipping the youth of Nungua and its environs with employable skills.
Under the programme, a sewing project was also launched to train the youth interested in sewing within the Nungua Tradtional area the opportunity to learn the trade.
Out of over 50 applicants who expressed their interest in the trade, only 11 youths were selected to undergo a three year paid-for apprenticeship. They were made up of eight females and three males.
Speaking at the ceremony , a business man, Nii Boye Abbey, said training the youth in employable skills was vital in curbing most social vices adding that “ we have trained most of our students to graduate with non-existent white-collar jobs which eventually frustrates them.’
He said the launch of the programme was a refreshing gesture to assist needy students from poor backgrounds to acquire vocational skills in order to earn a living and also assist their families in the near future.
He mentioned that it was trite knowledge that not everyone could pursue higher education and therefore there was the need to create job avenues for the less privileged youth.
Mr Abbey said the foundation was starting the project with 11 youths drawn from communities within Nungua to start a three year apprenticeship programme with six different fashion companies.
He said “we have also provided them with sewing machines and other materials needed to enhance their training,” adding that the foundation will monitor and evaluate the progress of the beneficiaries.
He said the number of trainees would be increased subsequently in order give opportunity to more youths to learn their preferred trade.
He therefore called on nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), philantropists, businessmen and women to help the foundation train the youth of Nungua in vocational and technical skills.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Mr Eric Bortey Djenge said it was established in 2017 by the paramount of chief of the Nungua Traditional area, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III to address the unemployment and educational needs of the people.
He mentioned that the foundation in time past had embarked on a lot of projects which included donation of electronic boards to the Nungua Senior High School and presentation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to students and residents during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 within the traditional area.
Mr Djenge said indigenes interested in other vocations such as tiling, carpentry, hairdressing and beading will be later trained adding technical and vocational training was the way to go now stating that “the focus of the foundation is technical and vocational skills training.”
He said the foundation was being driven by five pillars, namely, education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, women and children protection and culture and tradition.
He called on the people of Nungua to support the vision of the paramount chief to bring development to the area.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Oguaa goes gay with Fetu Afahye
The ancient city of Cape Coast, one of Ghana’s historical cities, witnessed a showcase of the rich cultural heritage of the Oguaa people with an exciting, colourful, and traditional event to mark the celebration of the 61st annual Fetu Afahye.
Themed “Innovate to elevate: Harnessing the creative economy for sustainable growth”, the festival featured a vibrant lineup of events, interspersed with several cultural performances showcasing the traditions which depict the traditional, historical and ancestral heritage of the land.
It witnessed a colourful procession of chiefs and various Asafo companies from the Mfantsipim School junction through the principal streets of the town to the Jubilee Park, accompanied by drumming and traditional dances.
The chiefs and members of the asafo companies were adorned in regal attire symbolising the pride and unity of the community.
Fetu Afahye demonstrates Oguaa’s resilience, unity, and cultural pride as the town welcomed indigenes both within and outside, as well as people from far and near, desirous of participating in the festival.
Various public spaces, including eateries and pubs, attracted patrons, and streets within the town witnessed bustling events with music blaring from the loudspeakers that had been placed by the roadside.
Bakatue
Prior to the durbar was the Bakatue regatta, a canoe race on the Fosu Lagoon, organised by ATL, a campus-based radio station located within the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in collaboration with the Oguaa Traditional Council.
The event saw a thrilling spectacle as the three Asafo companies, Nkum No. 4, Bentsir No. 1, and Anaafo No. 2, battled aggressively on the Fosu Lagoon. Nkum No. 4 earned nine points to clinch the trophy, medals, and a cash prize. They were followed by Anaafo No. 2 with five points, while Bentsir No. 1 finished third with four points.
Orange Friday
Friday witnessed what has come to be known as the biggest street carnival in Ghana, known as ‘Orange Friday.’
It drew hundreds of people across the country. Clad in orange attires, the patrons gathered and moved through the streets of the town, creating a gridlock.
The Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osaberimba Kwesi Atta II, at the durbar of chiefs to climax the festival acknowledged the unifying factor in relation to culture among Africans and stated the need for Africans to take their destinies into their own hands.
He explained that festivals such as Fetu Afahye offer an opportunity for Africans to remind themselves of the future by working hard and embrace the future in order not to be taken by events.
The Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, in a speech read on her behalf, noted that the festival was far more than a ritual or an annual duty, saying, “It is an affirmation of an identity, a homecoming and a powerful testimony to the wisdom and fortitude of our forebears”.
In his remarks, the Special Guest of Honour, the Olu of Warri State in Nigeria, Ogiame Atuwatse III, indicated that, the only thing holding Africans back was Africans themselves, which he said, was in the area of an African identity, and acting on that identity.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
News
Chief Imam issues disclaimer on unauthorised petitions
The Office of the National Chief Imam has warned Muslim organizations and individuals against issuing statements and petitions to the Government in his name without permission.
In a statement, the Chief Imam said he had observed that some groups had been circulating petitions, including a recent one on Hajj, using his name without authorization.
He stressed that such actions were unlawful and cautioned those involved to stop or face the law.
The Chief Imam reminded the public that on October 4, 2022, he, together with the National Imams of all Muslim sects, signed a deed and presented it to the Government at the Jubilee House.
The agreement recognised the National Muslim Conference of Ghana as the official body representing Muslims in their dealings with state institutions.
He urged that any petitions meant to be sent to the Government in his name should go through the National Muslim Conference of Ghana with the approval of the Advisory Board of his office.
By: Jacob Aggrey
