Afrikids Ghana and Centre for Youth Development, both NGOs on Thursday presented start-up kits to 35 youth trained in various vocational modules at Zuarungu.

In addition to the donation, the entire training cost of the youth who underwent two to three years training in vocational modules including hairdressing, masonry, carpentry, metal works, dress making among others cost of training, were paid by Afrikids Ghana whilst CYD facilitated the process.

Speaking at the function, Mr David Awane, the Centre Manager, urged the grandaunts to exhibit professionalism at their work places to enable them attract more customers and to also engage others to train them to become self-reliance.

He commended Afrikids Ghana for the support saying apart from the vocational modules which seek to help school drop outs particularly at the Junior High Schools it also partnered with his outfit to open Grace Preparatory School, a basic school at Zuarungu.

He said had it not been the basic school most of the school children at that time would have not been school since there were few schools which were also far from the communities.

Mr Awane said the school which started with 5 orphans now includes a Kindergarten, Primary, Junior High School and an ICT centre with a total population of 600 saying that the Centre through the support of Afrikids also supported 250 orphans with female goats to rear for their upkeep.

“The Centre has also supported one hundred and seventy six deprived parents with micro finance through Afrikids Ghana who are taken good care of their children in the school”

Mr Awane said one of the major challenges confronting the School was inadequacy of infrastructure and teachers and appealed to the Ghana Education Service to assist the school with professional teachers and the necessary infrastructure to complement the school infrastructure Afrikds Ghana had provided over the years.

Ms Easter Akaere, a 22-year old beneficiary of the Vocational Module in Seamstress, said “I am already getting a lot of customers. Had it not been with the support of Afrikids Ghana support I would have gone to Kumasi to be engaged as head potter and anything could have happened to me. Thank God that I am now self-reliant and can support my family. I have also engaged three people whom I am training”

Master Nyaba Martin, also 22-year old and beneficiary of the Vocational Trade Module who had learnt trades in electrical, said “ I am now able to get jobs which gives me enough money to take good care of my sisters in school and also provide money for the household cooking.”

Mr Raymond Ayinne , External Affairs Manager of Afrikids Ghana, reiterated the need for the GES to provide more classrooms for the school and more computers for the ICT centre and indicated that Afrkids Ghana had over the years also supported school children with text books , exercise books , school uniforms and had also supported the school to organize School Performance Appraisal Meetings making the school one of the best in terms of academic performance.

This, he noted, had led to the increase in enrollment of the school since every parent wants to send his child to the school adding that if the school is expanded and provided with adequate teachers it would help cater for them.