By Christopher Tetteh, Sunyani
October 9, 2020
The Sunyani Youth Development Association (SYDA), a Youth Empowerment Training Centre has admited 42 youth as first batch apprentices to benefit from a value-chain sewing project initiated by the Association to train and build the capacities of the less privileged for self-employment.
Madam Akosua Manu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA) in charge of Finance and Administration led to inducted the trainees on Wednesday during the inaugural ceremony at the Association`s Training Centre in Sunyani.
The project, dubbed “SYDA Integrated Sewing Project” was initiated by the Association for a period of three years as part of its over 14 module training programmes to empower the youth for self-employment opportunities to enhance their living.
It involves creating fabric, using the fabric to sew dresses, designing beads as accessories to form a complete fashion and creating a point of sales shop for the products.
The SYDA Integrated Sewing Project which targeted to train 200 youth comprising 70 per cent females and 30 per cent males with an expected 10 per cent being people with disabilities within the stipulated period was inaugurated by H.E Gregory Andrews, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana.
The project was financially supported by the Australian Government through the Office of the High Commissioner and his predecessor Mr. Andrews Barnes through their Direct Aid Program (DAP).
Mr Atta Akoto Senior, President of SYDA, addressing the durbar indicated that since the inception of the project, “we have enrolled over 40 people under the project with 70 per cent of our female trainees being single parents within the ages of 18 to 24”.
The taining Centre, Mr. Akoto said seeks to give free skill training to youth in more than 14 disciplines including auto mechanic, welding, carpentry, hairdressing, makeup artistry, sewing, bead weaving, smock sewing, kente weaving, visual arts, craftsmanship, soap making, pastries and cake decoration.
Mr. Akoto stated the SYDA Integrated Sewing Project was conceived with the idea of creating an industrial hub that hinges on creating a value chain which can be controlled in one environment to create employment and wealth.
This has the potential to drastically cut off the chunk unemployment situation being one of the major burdens on Ghana government, he noted.
He added this would be done by investing in people who could learn numerous trades, detach and start their own business to improve their socioeconomic livelihoods through the varied experience acquiring from the project.
“This idea we believe if properly implemented and developed further could serve as a model which could create solid economic support to not only Ghana but across Africa as a whole”, Mr. Akoto emphasised.
MadamJustina Owusu Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), in her address at the programme advised the trainees to eschew laziness and work hard towards the reason they joined the SYDA Integrated Sewing Project and again exhibit respect towards their trainers and their colleagues as well.
She stated that self-initiated projects like this are the kind the government seeks to support, and therefore urged the association to liaise with all appropriate government institutions to be able to access the necessary support needed.
SYDA