Koforidua, July 26, GNA- The GRATIS Foundation had granted three billion cedis as loans to 600 small-scale entrepreneurs and groups in the Eastern Region. The loans would enable the beneficiaries to set up their own businesses and small-scale industries to improve their standard of living.

The Eastern Regional Manager for training and administration of the Foundation, Mr John Eluerkeh said this on Friday at a graduation ceremony for 70 trainees in skill training at Koforidua. He said the project, was sponsored by the European Union (EU) through the Foundation to enable the trainees to acquire more knowledge in livestock rearing.

The participants were from Youth and Women Empowerment Organisation (YOWE), an NGO operating at Manya and Yilo Krobo districts. The ten-day training in grass-cutter rearing took the participants through environment maintenance and packaging and exporting of livestocks.

The Director for Gender and Development of the GRATIS Foundation, Mrs Sabina Anokye Nkansah, urged the participants to take the training seriously and put it into use to generate revenue for their livelihood. The Project Co-ordinator of the NGO, Mr Rrichard Nartey commended the Foundation for accepting their proposal to train some of the rural folks in the livestock rearing. He further appealed to the NGO to conduct more training programmes for the rural folks for them to improve upon their welfare.