The items included 100 safety hard helmets, 100 safety goggles, 100 mechanical hand gloves, 100 steel toe safety boots, 50 ear muffs, and 30 smoke detectors.

The rest are first aid kits, heat detectors, fire alarms & sirens, emergency cabinets, safety signs, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE’s) to help students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff training

Prior to the presentation on Tuesday at the Institute at Suame in Kumasi, KOICA partnered with the Ghana Fire Service and Mission Safety Consult Limited, a private firm, and trained some staff and instructors of the institute on the correct use and maintenance of the safety gadgets.

Participants, after the successful completion of the program, were awarded certificates.

Safety campaign

The team later embarked on a safety campaign at the Suame Magazine, an industrial area in Kumasi, where the institute is located.

An estimated 12,000 artisans who engage in activities such as welding, machine grinding, auto mechanics, and auto body parts, among others, were reached with information and education materials such as fliers, safety signs and symbols to improve sustainable health and safety systems at their workplaces.

The Country Director of KOICA, Mr Moo Heon Kong said since the WFK was introduced to the KOICA Ghana office’s portfolio in 2017, it has so far dispatched over 20 volunteers to the country.

“These volunteers have served in areas including education, agriculture, vocational and technological education, rural development and the host of others”, he emphasized.

On his part, the Institute Manager of KVTI, Mr Richard Addo-Gyamfi, commended the Korean agency for its continuous support to the institute.

He seized the opportunity to also commend the government for creating the enabling environment to attract foreign investors who have continually supported the institution in diverse ways including building the capacity of its staff.