The African Freelancers (TAF) College, a tuition-free applied business school of creativity and entrepreneurship in Accra, has ventured into the transformation of former illegal miners (galamseyers) to equip them with entrepreneurial skills.

Currently, the college is training 20 young former galamseyers to develop their creative skills in various entrepreneurial fields.

The 20 students, drawn from communities in the Ellembelle District of the Western region, are being sponsored by the Anwia Teleku-Bokazo Trust Fund (ATB), a community assistance scheme in the Ellembelle District.

They are among 110 students, made up of school dropouts, young single mothers, and unemployed youths, currently being trained in graphic design, cinematography, music production, digital marketing, cosmetology, fashion design, real estate management, and event management, among others.

Reverend Johnnie Oquaye, Founder and President of TAF College, speaking to journalists during a float by the students and trainers through some principal streets of Accra to mark the college’s first anniversary celebration, said the former young galamseyers will secure skills for an alternative livelihood after their training.

He was optimistic that the training for the former young illegal miners would enable them to integrate into society and encourage more of their colleagues to seek entrepreneurial training for enhanced livelihoods, adding that the college would continue to offer support in that regard.

Touching on their achievements in their first year, Rev. Oquaye said, “We achieved great results in our first pilot year by graduating 115 students in our mission of offering free-tuition creative skills training to transform the lot of unemployed youth who cannot afford skills training.”

In the second year, he said the school is breaking new ground by launching additional training programmes including the opening of an Artificial Intelligence Department that will provide quality training in that area to enable students to take advantage of opportunities in the fast-growing AI industry.

Because the training programmes are funded through donations by philanthropists, corporate bodies and non-profit organisations, Rev Oquaye called for more funding support to enable the college to train more students to become job-creation entrepreneurs.

He announced that the college has launched a TAF Club 100, a fundraising initiative aimed at securing 100 donors to sponsor at least 100 students each year, explaining that it costs GHC 10,000 to train a student.

He expressed appreciation to all individual and institutional partners and donors, including the HACSA Foundation, Fidelity Bank and GLICO Insurance, for their continuous support.

The Chairman of Trustees of ATB Trust Fund, Mr. Mark Addo, expressed his satisfaction with the impact TAF College is making in transforming marginalized and unemployed youth

“We are pleased to join hands with TAF College to support our community's progress by sponsoring 20 students and providing them with accommodation in Accra, alongside a monthly allowance to enable them to undergo the training,” he said.