Opportunity International Forms Kayayei's Livelihood Skills | Economic news

Opportunity International, the award-winning savings and loan company, organized a graduation ceremony for key carriers (Kayayei) after completing the training program for subsistence and skills of the WAG-SEVICO vocational training institute in Accra. The occasion was honored by Naa Alhaji Chackson Osman, head of the Mamprusi community of Accra and other dignitaries.

Twenty-four (24) girls who worked as kayayei (head bearers) in Accra attended intensive residential training for three weeks on professional skills such as pearl making, soap making and baking. They were allowed to choose a trade among the various vocations to enable them to earn an income and fend for themselves. After graduating, they received their business start-up kit for the chosen trade. As part of the project, some of the girls will also receive start-up capital for their business.

Fifteen (15) of the girls who currently reside in Maamobi, Accra, have declared their willingness to return to their home country and practice their preferred occupation in the Gambaga market, near Tamale, while the remaining nine wish to stay in Accra. family commitments and others.

In her opening remarks, Mr. Kwame Owusu-Boateng, CEO of Opportunity International Savings, encouraged the participants to make good use of the skills learned and promised to support other girls if it succeeded. . He said that supporting such groups and vulnerable people is at the heart of what Opportunity International has to do as part of its mission of transforming lives.

Naa Alhaji Chackson Osman, the special honor guest and president of this occasion, thanked Opportunity International for this intervention and said: "I have attended several interventions for Kayayei, but this one is very exceptional. He prayed that girls would take advantage of the opportunity offered to them by returning home with a job that can have an impact on their lives and their families. "You are no longer a Kayayei, but a professional of the trade you have chosen," he said.

The girls were overwhelmed and expressed their gratitude to the funders of this project for the great opportunity they received. They were optimistic about the success of the chosen job and also wanted to be able to train other girls who might need to learn from them.

The project to empower these young women to earn a living and take them off the street as carriers has been funded by the CarVal Investors Foundation in the UK. The CarVal Investor Foundation supports organizations that help the most vulnerable in the global population. The Foundation focuses primarily on education and leadership, the fight against poverty, health and research. They work with Opportunity International in the United Kingdom, represented in Ghana by Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited.

The next cohort will be funded by the Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust. Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust promotes and supports international friendship and understanding, world peace, development and education.