Australian High Commissioner inaugurates Youth Development Project in Sunyani
By Christopher Tetteh, Sunyani
Friday, October 9, 2020
Mr Gregory Andrews, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana has on Wednesday inspected and inaugurated the “SYDA Integrated Sewing Project” at the youth training centre in Sunyani.
The “SYDA Integrated Sewing Project” implemented by the Sunyani Youth Development Association (SYDA), the Commissioner noted would help to reduce the issues faced by young people, such as, mental health issues, alcohol and drug addiction, violence, unemployment, illegal migration, among others.
It was funded by the Australian government through their Direct Aid Programme to create an industrial hub as part of the Association`s 14 module training programmes undertaking free to build the entrepreneurial capacities of young ones for self-employment.
Speaking at the programme, Mr. Gregory said the support was from the tax revenues mobilised by the Australian government to help countries around the globe that needed their assistance.
The youth empowerment centre was to give skilled and handicraft training to the less privileged such as school drop-outs, teenage single parents, people with disabilities, people from broken homes, street children and many others for self-employment opportunities and socio-economic enhancement to improve their livelihoods.
The SYDA Integrated Sewing Project seeks to within three years train about 200 youths comprising 70 per cent females and 30 per cent males to be trained in dressmaking, beading, smock weaving, kente weaving and smock sewing.
SYDA was founded in 2015 with the vision to work towards the development of Sunyani by developing the youths who would work to change Sunyani and Ghana as a whole and contribute to the nation`s effort to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Association believes that an underdeveloped youth can develop no place but rather be a tumultuous hindrance to national development through armed robbery and other criminalities.
Source: GNA