Accra, Nov. 1, GNA - The German Ambassador in Ghana, Mr Peter Linder on Sunday inaugurated the Alavanyo Women's Group Project at Alavanyo in the Volta Region and stressed that vocational training was important in private sector development, employment and growth. He noted that basic education was the all-important element for development.

"But in the modern world, in which chances depend very much on the quantity and quality of skills a person has, vocational training, and with it entrepreneurial skills, is a very important element as well," Mr Linder said in his speech released by the German Embassy in Accra. The seven communities of the Alavanyo Traditional Area agreed upon the project, which would enable the most disadvantaged group, namely young girls without proper education and unmarried mothers, to develop vocational and entrepreneurial skills in order to become self-sufficient and eventually improve their personal and their communities' situation. Mr Linder said the overarching goal of vocational training was employment, self-employment and sustainable income generation.

"Investments in girls' and women's education are the most efficient and far-reaching investments that a developing country can make. "Education of girls affects all dimensions of development - reduced infant and maternal mortality; reduced fertility rate; higher level of education of girls and boys, higher productivity and improved environmental management."

Mr Linder said another important factor in favour of the project was the outlook that it was not only aimed at supporting girls and young women in acquiring certain marketable business skills but that the overarching goal was to help the community by promoting small scale businesses oriented at the communities' needs.

He said by granting over 85 million cedis to the project, the German Embassy had merely provided the necessary start-up investment and expressed the hope that the project would grow and have increased independence leading to a better life for the individual participants.

"We trust that you manage the project in such a way that you will not need outside assistance for the operations but rather create your own financial base."