Barbara Oteng-Gyasi Donates Sewing Machines To Seamstresses

In her quest to create job opportunities to improve the standards of living among constituents and create wealth through entrepreneurship, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Huni-valley constituency, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi has donated 40 sewing machines to newly trained seamstresses in her area.

The MP made the donation on Sunday, November 15, at the apprenticeship graduation ceremony of the Bogoso chapter of Ghana National Taylors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA), where she gave each of the 40 graduates a sewing machine and donated Ghc2,000 to the association to aid in its activities.

The legislator was hopeful the donation will go a long way to equip and make the newly trained seamstresses self-sustaining as they begin their own businesses.

The MP, who is seeking re-election in the upcoming general election slated for December 7 this year, has over the years committed adequate resources to train, develop and support skills of residents to create employment and empower them financially.

Key amongst them are the annual donation of sewing and hairdryer machines to graduates in dressmaking and hairdressing, provision of tricycles (Pragya) to youth on work and pay basis, training of residents in soap and bead making.

Others included provision of seed capital to some youth to begin mobile money transfer business and distribution of start-up kits to artisans.

According to the MP, government has committed $60 million as seed funding into the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF), which would provide grants to private enterprises for expanded employment through skills development.

It is also aimed at helping the government to better respond to the imperative of creating more decent jobs for the youth and the rapidly growing labour force.

She assured the gathering of the Akufo-Addo led government continual effort to equip people especially the youth with the technical and professional skills needed for socio-economic and industrial development of the country, with emphasis on training people for self-employment by prioritizing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

On behalf of the beneficiaries, the leadership of the GNTDA expressed appreciation to the MP for the annual kind gesture and support.