Lambussie, (U/W), Sept. 10, GNA – Fifty-eight (58) beneficiaries of the Trade and Vocation module of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) have been presented with sewing machines to enable them set up their own businesses.

The beneficiaries, who are from the Lambussie-Karni District of the Upper West Region, received the machines after under going a successful six- month training course in dressmaking.

The training was facilitated by the NYEP in collaboration with the Asongtaba Cottage Industries and Exchange Programme and supported by the Lambussie-Karni District Assembly.

Mr. Clement Benin, the Lambussie-Karni District Chief Executive (DCE) who presented the machines to the beneficiaries at Lambussie, described the intervention as timely especially, when majority of the youth from the area were migrating to the South to seek wealth.

The DCE stated that the gesture was also in fulfilment of the government’s promise of empowering the youth with self employable skills.

Mr. Benin advised the beneficiaries to let the skills and knowledge they had acquired to reflect on the development needs of the programme.

The programme seeks to reduce economic and social disparities, increase employment opportunities and at the same time provide sufficient training needs to the teeming unemployed youth.

He advised them to take good care of the machines by adopting good maintenance culture in order to prolong their life span.

The DCE also warned the beneficiaries not to sell the machines to solve family problems, saying the Assembly would put up a team to monitor their activities to ensure that non-conforming beneficiaries were brought to book.

Mr. Roland Aputiik, the Upper West Regional Coordinator for Asongtaba Cottage Industries and Exchange Programme, said a total of 2,250 youth were expected to be trained in dressmaking in the region, out of this, 200 of them would come from the Lambussie-Karni District.

He said the district had also been chosen to pilot the Guinea Fowl Rearing Project in the region.

Plots of land had already been acquired in the district and over 200 youth would be benefiting soon.

Mr. Aputiik congratulated the trainees and advised them not to decorate their houses with the machines but use them wisely to improve on their economic circumstances.

He said loans would be given to the beneficiaries to enable them acquire containers to set up their businesses.

Mr. Bayon Bin Yussif, the Deputy Regional NYEP Coordinator said a new module known as Youth Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (YESDEP) which seeks to train the youth in auto mechanics would soon be rolled out and urged the youth especially, the boys to take advantage of it.

He said through the NYEP, every youth would be offered employment according to his or her potentials and told them to count themselves as very lucky people because of the commitment of government to see to their welfare.

Mr. Bin Yussif called on the youth not to be enslaved by desire for white colour jobs but endeavour to take advantage of the numerous opportunities presented by the NYEP to acquire entrepreneurial skills to better their lot.

Mr. Emil Baloroo, the District NYEP Coordinator said about eight modules of the NYEP were operational in the district and urged the youth who were not yet enrolled to contact the district office for registration.