Aid a Child Ghana, a non-governmental organization operating in the Atebubu-Amantin municipality is undertaking an initiative to empower the youth through the provision of income-generating skills.
The initiative which started in April this year, involves the formation of basic school-based groups that are assigned dedicated facilitators to guide and motivate them to take full advantage of the opportunity.
As a first step, five groups have been established and given liquid soap-making skills. All five beneficiary groups are currently producing and selling these products after school to make some income for their groups.
According to Pastor Nelson Aho, a board member and the senior technical advisor of the organization, with a little seed money provided by the NGO, the groups have been able to generate on average, six hundred Ghana Cedis each in its few months of operation which he described as a ‘promising beginning’.
He said from these resources, the beneficiaries can provide basic needs like sanitary pads, footwear, school bags, and the like for themselves to ease the pressure on their families while making life a bit more comfortable for themselves.
“The skills that we are imparting unto the youth today could also lead to a lifelong trade on the part of these children which could lead to a brighter future” Pastor Aho added.
He said his outfit intends to create five more groups shortly to the availability of dedicated facilitators who are key to the survival and progress of these groups.
Through the initiative, beneficiaries have also been taken through lessons termed “empowered world view” which seeks to help them explore and exploit available resources within their environment for their benefit and that of their communities.
They were also tutored on “Citizens Voice and Action” which empowers them to hold duty bearers at the local authority to task, ensure accountability, and the provision of quality services for the betterment of their communities.
The beneficiary schools were Akokoa Roman Catholic JHS, First Class educational complex at Amantin, First Choice International based in Atebubu, New Kokrompe M.A primary and Primukyeae M.A primary.