Mamfi-Akuapem(E/R), July 08, GNA-The Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. William Boafo has appealed to the electorate in his constituency to exercise patience, while he works to ensure that development projects for the area was gradually shared to benefit all.

Mr Boafo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Akropong was speaking at the graduation ceremony of 11 seamstresses trained at the Okyeso Nyame Youth Training Centre at Mamfe.

The Okyeso Nyame Youth Training Centre is a private institution based at Mamfe, which offers free training in tailoring and dressmaking to the youth of Akuapem as a means of helping to reduce unemployment in the area.

He said he had requested the Ministry of Energy and the Akuapem North District Assembly for all of his share of the HIPC fund for 2006 to be used to extend electricity to some parts of the constituency, especially those communities within the Akuapem valleys. Mr. Boafo said he and the Akuapem North District Chief Executive had initiated moves to find out how to help contribute towards the development of the centre.

He donated two foot sewing machines and two hand sewing machines to the centre as part of his contribution towards the activities of the centre.

The Presiding Member of the Akuapem North District Assembly, Mr Samuel Appenteng encouraged school drop-outs in the area to take advantage of the facilities being offered by the centre to create a future for themselves.

In a welcoming address, the founder of the centre, Mr. Gibrine Anagli explained that, he decided to establish the centre because of the high school drop-out rate, especially among school girls in the area due to financial constraints of their parents.

He said since the establishment of the centre in 1989, 52 trained apprentices had graduated from the centre and currently it had 36 apprentices, 34 females and two males.

Mr. Anagli said the centre had also put in place a group which periodically use drama to educate communities around Mamfe on the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

He said the challenges facing the centre include lack of adequate space, inadequate furniture, sewing machines and lack of parental care in terms of provision of feeding fees for the trainees.