By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani, (Bono), May 30, GNA – Mr Vincent Antwi Agyei, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), says the Assembly is committed to integrating adolescent-responsive strategies into its development plans to tackle their emerging needs.
He said the Assembly’s support for youth-led programmes, research and employable skills training would facilitate the holistic development of the youth in the municipality.
Mr Agyei said in a speech at the Second Local Learning Event on the implementation of the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA-II) program of the Sunyani-based Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a non-government organisation in Sunyani.
The GloMeF in collaboration with Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, NGOs is implementing the Resilient Cities for Adolescents (RCA) project of the HCA II aimed at enhancing health and well-being of the adolescent.
It is an initiative of the Foundation Botnar, spearheaded by the Ecorys UK. Under the project, Mr Agyei said the Assembly was collaborating with the project implementers for the construction of a recreational centre in Sunyani that would serve as a permanent safe space for youth learning and development.
“Scaling the RCA model through platforms like the Intermediary City Ecosystem Platform (ICEP) will foster greater adolescent participation in decision-making processes,” he stated.
Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GloMeF urged stakeholders to strengthen youth involvement in urban governance to promote inclusive and sustainable urban planning.
He said there was the need to create safe, healthy, and responsive urban environments for adolescents, especially girls, Persons with Disabilities and other young people with vulnerabilities.
“Only when our cities include, empower, and protect young people can we truly call them resilient,” he stated.
Mr Edward Ayabilah, the GloMeF’s Programme Manager for the RCA explained that 22 adolescent people were trained as advocates under the project’s phase one implementation, saying 45 of them had also been enrolled in a digital skills mentorship program.
He said the project had established an ICT lab in Sunyani, equipped with modern computers and tech machines to facilitate the training, adding that 45 youth were also undergoing vocational training in dressmaking, hairdressing, and artistry.
On completion, he said the project would provide them with startup capital to set up their own businesses.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah