The beneficiaries in the Ayawaso East Municipality and the Ablekuma South sub-metro shared their pleasure for the opportunity to learn skills that has the potential to transform their lives.

The beneficiaries shared their experiences when Christian Aid, an International Non-Governmental Organisation, Opportunities Industrialisation Centres Ghana (OICG) and GRATIS Foundation paid working visits to monitor the progress of the project beneficiaries.

Sharing her experience, Ms Grace Botwe, a beneficiary receiving training in dressmaking at the Community Youth Cultural Centre in the Ayawoso East Municipality, said she was now able to sew and was hopeful to set-up her own shop after the 18 months training.

Mr Rexford Asamoah, another beneficiary learning dressmaking at the CYCC commended the stakeholders of the project for making it easier for him to learn a trade that will help to improve his livelihood.

At Tina’s Executive Fashion, five trainees are currently undergoing a dressmaking training.  Comfort Agbley, a beneficiary, who was formerly selling sachet water at Dansoman is now able to sew tops, straight dresses, and shirts.

Vincentia Nunoo, a beneficiary, promised that she would strive to make the stakeholders of the project proud and would work hard to save some money to establish her own shop and also train others to acquire dressmaking skills in order to earn decent living.

At Patmorson Catering Services and Training Centre, 10 young ladies were cheerfully found preparing some pastries as they were left with a month to complete their training under the GEOP project.

Sharing her experience at the Centre, Ms Samira Aziz, said she came to the training with no knowledge in pastry making but she could now prepare pastries such as cakes of various types and fondants, among many others.

Ms Aziz said: “I am excited with this GEOP project because it has given me the opportunity to learn something for myself. I want to start my own catering services so that I can also train more people who are interested”.

Ms Hamdiya Mohammed, a beneficiary at the Patmorson Catering Services and Training Centre, said prior to enrolling on the project was at home helping her mom.

She said the skills she has acquired at the centre is very useful and moving forward she is confident of starting her own business once she has acquired all the needed equipment.

She urged Christian Aid and its partners to continue the good works by saying, “Keep helping the youth of Ghana especially those who parents do not have enough money to sponsor them to further their education or training”.

She said the project should be scaled up so that the teeming unemployed youth in the Ayawaso East Municipality can also benefit from the project trainings.

Leticia Commey, a beneficiary of the project, said although she knew nothing about catering, she can now boast of making cakes, meat pie, doughnuts, and biscuits, among many other pastries through the skills learnt at Glorious Hand Catering Services, Dansoman with seven other beneficiaries.

At Black Beauty Braid and Bridal within the Ayawaso East Municipality, six trainees are currently undergoing training, and interacting with them revealed their pleasure for being beneficiaries of the GEOP project.

Ms Nawal Seidu said she was unemployed and didn’t have any hope, adding that the GEOP project was a saviour her and the family.

She said she is now able to do a number of hairstyles including Rasta, Touch up, Twist and Corn roll among others.

Ms Beatrice Mensah, a beneficiary also at the Black Beauty Braid and Bridal, said she was also unemployed when her aunty prompted her on the GEOP project and she has not regretted taking the opportunity to learn the skill. She plans to have her own shop where she will be a “Madam”. 

As part of the project, a training programme was held for some Master Craftsmen and interacting with them in the Nima gave them the opportunity to express their gratitude to the project stakeholders for their benevolence.

At Atteh’s Welding Shop, Mr Atteh Nene Adjei, a Co-Manager and a beneficiary, said he learnt how to do new types of welding and some safety precautions associated with the welding profession, adding that the training has boosted his performance and together with his co-manager, they are able to manage their two shops.

Mr Aminu Salawu, a Co-Manager at the Atteh’s Welding Shop and a beneficiary, said the project was timely as it helped him to forge on with the good he was doing with metal works and said although they had tried to teach some unemployed youth, it was difficult because most of them were reluctant to take instructions and they are focused on ow to make quick money.

Mr Shafiw Abdul Razak, a Co-Manager of Corporate Metal Works at Nima, said the various modules of the training assisted him to add professionalism to his work especially learning about good corporate practice.

Mr Yakubu Sumaila, a Co-Manager of Corporate Metal Works, said the training provided by the GEOP project has boosted his capacity with new skills in Argon Welding among many others.

At Samat Driving School, Dansoman, 15 young men have been taken through the driving school lessons with all of them awaiting their driving license to commence working.

The GEOP project is a three-year European Union funded project that is aimed at promoting local economic development in sustainable environment across Western and Greater Accra regions by 2019.

The project is being implemented in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region,  Ayawoso East Municipality and the Ablekuma South Sub Metro in the Greater Accra Region.

Christian Aid is implementing the project in partnership with the Ghanaian Institute Welding (GIW), GRATIS Foundation, Ellembelle District Assembly and United Civil Society Organization for National Development (UCSOND).