More than 500 headporters (Kayayei) under the Youth Employment Agency programme have received smart grants and start-up packs to commence their entrepreneurial journey. 

The start-up pack and smart grant will pave the way for the beneficiaries to venture into a variety of trade areas. 

Mr  Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, announced this during a graduation ceremony for the beneficiaries in Accra under the Kayayei Empowerment Programme. 

Mr Nkansah commended the graduates for their resilience and perseverance during the course of the one-month intensive training in various vocational skills. 

“It is inspiring to see these young women’s devotion and tenacity in learning such essential practical skills as they go on a journey of self-discovery and progress to overcome their personal obstacles.

“A journey to restore their dignity and escape the dangers of the streets. They have exceeded our expectations with their performance during the training,” he said. 

The skills, he stressed, would empower the beneficiaries to shape their destiny and inspire others with their stories of resilience and success. 

Ms Lydia Atiemo, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Youth Employment Agency, urged the graduates to build on their knowledge by continuously practising what they learned to enhance efficiency.

She said the programme would play a considerable role in addressing the current challenge of rural-urban migration. 

Ms Atiemo noted that the bakery, make-up, and decor industries were rapidly expanding and growing in Ghana and urged the graduates to take advantage of the opportunities for their livelihoods.

Ms Jennifer Dede Afagbedzi, the Municipal Chief Executive Officer for La Nkwantanang Madina, urged the graduates to set the best example by utilising the skills they had acquired to earn a good income.

That, she noted, would encourage other head potters to enrol in the programme.
  
A total of 600 cohorts graduated from the programme with various vocational skills, including soap making, bead making, decorating, baking, make-up, pedicure, and manicure. 

The Kayayei Empowerment Programme aims to empower female head porters, or kayayei, across the country through the transformational potential of technical and vocational education and training.