Ejisu (A/R), May 31. GNA – The SOS Children’s Villages, Ghana, has enrolled 1,030 children and 314 families into their Family Strengthening Project (FSP), a livelihood empowerment project.
This is to enable the youth to acquire various skills to enhance their livelihoods.
They have also supported 103 Caregivers in the various SOS Homes with grants to enable them to either start or expand their own businesses.
Mr. Alexander Mar Kekula, National Director for SOS Children’s Villages, Ghana, said this at a durbar on Family Strengthening, to outdoor 38 young people who received training in various vocations and entrepreneurial skills in the Ejisu Municipality.
The beneficiaries were presented with machines and equipment such as Commercial Electric Sewing Machines, ovens for baking, hairdressing equipment and others which were needed for them to start their own business.
The durbar was on the theme, “Positioning the TVET Youth to Compete in a Challenging Business Environment”.
The FSP is a five-year project implemented in five communities, namely Ejisu, Adadientem, Onwe, Essienimpong and Kubease.
It is aimed at preventing family separation by training the youth for entrepreneurial skills, building the capacity of grass root organisations in the communities, and empowering the local communities to support the care and rights of children.
This is to ensure stable and protective families so that they are not exposed to abuse, economic hardships and neglect.
Additionally, the SOS has supported 201 families with food supplies and 820 people with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the difficult times of COVID-19, and provided home schooling to some school children.
Mr Kekula called on the government to continue to support the youth to survive the business environment, while they also did their part to complement the government’s efforts.
Mr John Kumah, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ejisu Constituency, said the government had implemented various social protection policies in education and health.
He urged the youth to take advantage of them to reduce poverty and to enhance their livelihoods.
Madam Serwaah Derkyi, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ejisu, said the Municipal Assembly through its Social Welfare and Community Development Department, has provided support for the needy and vulnerable in the society.
This, she noted, was done through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Project.
“All actors have a role to play in developing the skills of the youth by providing support for them to be equipped to establish themselves in a vocation of their choices,” she said.
The MCE advised the beneficiaries of the training programme to make good use of the equipment they had received.
Madam Zanaye Solomon, SOS Children’s Villages International Representative, congratulated the beneficiaries and pledged their support for the youth to enable the families to become strong for children and young people to receive the care they needed to thrive.
A beneficiary, Janet Mensah, said she had completed Senior High school (SHS) four years ago, and that the FSP would go a long way to help her and her family to improve their livelihoods.
GNA