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