CTME Initiative: AG Care equips over 40 vulnerable girls in Madina with vocational skills, tools for work

In a significant stride towards empowering vulnerable young women in Madina and its surrounding communities, Assemblies of God Care (AG Care-Ghana) on Thursday, September 26, held a graduation ceremony for more than 40 girls who completed various training under its Lifeline Child Marriage, Trafficking, and Exploitation (CTME) vocational skills programme.

This event was also the 21st edition of the project which was on the theme "Empowerment Through Vocational Skills: Transforming Lives- From Vulnerability To Vitality."

The graduation, which took place at the Madina Central Assemblies of God Church, marked a triumphant milestone in AG Care's longstanding efforts to improve the lives of marginalized girls through skills development and education.

The CTME initiative aims to address the challenges of child marriage, human trafficking, and exploitation by equipping young girls with practical skills that can serve as sustainable pathways out of poverty and vulnerability.

The fact that girls and for that matter, females are more predisposed to vulnerability, only goes to underscore the direction of the Program in focusing on only girls.

The vocational skills acquired by the graduates included 3 months of intensive training in bakery and pastry making, pedicure and manicure nail fixing, and basic entrepreneurial and life skills providing them with a foundation to build their businesses and become financially independent.

The ceremony was a joyous occasion filled with inspiring speeches, testimonies, and a showcase of the graduates' work.

The Executive Director of AG Care-Ghana, Ernest Asigri along with other special guests, including Chairperson of the event and National Coordinator for Joy Fellowship of Assemblies of God, Mrs. Gladys Akoto, AG Care Board Chairman, Forster Afenyo, Regional Superintendent Greater Accra East, Rev. Andrews Nelson Awintia addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of empowering vulnerable girls to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation.

In his address, the Executive Director of AG CARE Ernest Asigri praised the graduates for their resilience and determination in overcoming numerous obstacles, including financial hardships, social stigmas, and personal struggles.

"Today, we celebrate not just the completion of your training but the beginning of new possibilities for each of you," he said. "You are now equipped with the tools to take charge of your future and contribute positively to your communities."

He mentioned that AG Care Ghana has since 1999 when the Lifeline programme started, devoted its efforts at fighting poverty through vocational skills empowerment of girls between the ages 13 to 22 years who have undergone various forms of abuse in the hands of unscrupulous 'benefactors'.

Mr. Asigri added: "We are gathered today to celebrate not just the graduation of another cohort of trainees of the CTME skills training program, but the beginning of new journeys, new opportunities, new future and new collaborations and supports to train more vulnerable young women.

"This is the graduation of yet another batch of potential CTME victims, who had undergone three (3) months of intensive vocational skills training in bakery and pastry making, pedicure and manicure nail fixing, and basic entrepreneurial and life skills."

Touching on the successes chalked so far, Mr. Asigri revealed that the Lifeline project over the past 25 years has rescued over 2,000 victims and potential victims of exploitation, trafficking and other worse forms of child labour.

The project aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change. Our focus is on the 8th goal which emphasizes "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

"...It is our belief that when young girls, due to poverty, are unable to benefit from formal education, would have the opportunity to be trained in vocational/occupational skills, hence curbing the level of vulnerability through the skills learnt, could make a decent income on their own," he said.

He indicated that through working and establishing healthy relationships with various stakeholders, the Programme each year since 2006 Rescues, Rehabilitates and Reintegrates victims of trafficking, child marriage, abuse and other forms of exploitation, housed for a year where they are empowered to face the future with certainty.

"Unlike the past 22 years where the programme has been located at the Agbogbloshie and the Central Business District of Accra, as a residential programme, this year's programme has taken a different turn, in that the training has relocated to Madina, where these young women are now trained non-residentially, where potential victims of CTME are identified and rehabilitated with tailor-made vocational skills to empower and progressively sustain their livelihoods.

"Each trainee, business. depending on the skill learnt, will benefit from a start-up package that will set them up for Today's ceremony is one occasion in the lives of 40 (30 Pedicure Manicure nail fixing and 10 Bakery and Pastries making) potential victims who have successfully undergone 3 months of intensive vocational skills training here in Madina Central Assemblies of God church.

"Some of them were head potters and others were those who have been exploited in various ways. In the spirit of transforming lives together, we believe they are in a better place to live if we open our doors to as many girls who require our support," he added.

Touching on funding support, he appealed to other organisations to also come on board.

"The Programme has over the years relied on its multiple partners such as UNICEF, the Robertson Foundation and Kerk in Actie for funding, but post-COVID-19, we are now left with only one donor funding source, whose support is also ending next year, thus posing a great challenge of how to sustain this beyond 2025.

"This therefore calls for increased partnership within Ghana, especially Assemblies of God Ghana, its local Churches and individual Church members. I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the unwavering support of KERK IN ACTIE Netherlands, Madina Central Assemblies of God Church-our Host, our community leaders, partners, and stakeholders.

"Your commitment to this project has made a real difference in the lives of these young women. We are grateful for your belief in our mission and your investment in this program. Together, we are not only transforming individual lives but also strengthening our community and Ghana as a whole, demonstrating the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"To Assemblies of Ghana and its local Churches, let's keep working together, for in unity lies strength; to all distinguished guests, our doors are always open for suggestions and various forms of support to enable us to increase the intake of more young women in the next cohort of training.

"Finally, to the staff and the skills instructors, all your efforts are being noted and may the Lord of Host continue to strengthen you and reward you immensely," he shared.

He congratulated the trainees for their dedication and efforts.

"Indeed you have shown incredible determination, resilience, and commitment to your personal growth. Each of you has faced challenges that many of us canno imagine, yet you persevered. You have learned valuable skills in Pedicure Manicure nail fixing and Bakery and Pastries making and more importantly, you have developed a sense of self-worth and empowerment that will serve you well in the years to come, go out there and be worthy ambassadors of the Project and the love of Christ."

On his part, Regional Superintendent of Assemblies of God Greater Accra East, Rev. Andrews Nelson Awintia expressed appreciation on behalf of the General Superintendent Rev. Steve Wingam, to all those involved in making the project a huge great success.

He advised the trainees who were presented with certificates and working tools to make good use of the items rather than going back to the streets.

He added "Assemblies of God Ghana is very much proud to recount its long history of involvement in the socio-economic well-being of Ghanaians predating way back our independence.

"While pursuing the spiritual well-being of our community centers and establishments almost a century ago, in the then Gold Coast Ghana, we have strived over the years to also attend to the social and economic needs of communities across the country.

'Being the first Pentecostal church in Ghana to have established health facilities as far back as the 1940s and 1950s to further the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"It is for this reason that in the year 1990, Assemblies of God became the first Pentecostal church in Ghana once again to register in livelihood empowerment material Relief and Development Agency as an NGO which became known as Assemblies of God Care (AG Care) to pursue its official social action mandates."

He acknowledged that for over three decades, AG Care Ghana has frequently pursued initiatives in partnership with the government of Ghana, UNHCR, UNICEF among other international organisations.

"Improving the economic and social well-being especially of the most vulnerable and deprived population through health, education, agriculture, humanitarian agencies, child protection and economic livelihood empowerment programs is critical in this our time.

"Today, we are proud of some 40 women from the streets of Accra, transforming them into economically active members of society through three months of intensive vocational skills training that has empowered them," he stated.

Some of the graduates also shared their personal stories, expressing gratitude for the opportunities that the programme had provided.

One graduate spoke of how the training had not only given her a skill but had also transformed her outlook on life.

"Before AG Care, I had no hope for the future. Now, I am confident that I can start my own business and support my family."

25 Years of Empowerment
The graduation ceremony also served as a platform to raise awareness about AG Care-Ghana’s broader mission.

For the past 25 years, the organization has supported over 2,000 young women across Ghana through various empowerment initiatives aimed at combating child marriage, trafficking, and exploitation.

The CTME programme is just one of many efforts that have brought hope and lasting change to the lives of vulnerable girls in the country.

AG Care-Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to providing ongoing support to these young women as they transition into the next chapter of their lives.

The graduation ceremony was a celebration of the power of education, skills training, and community support in transforming the lives of vulnerable girls.

It stands as a reminder of the impact that dedicated organizations like AG Care-Ghana can have in breaking cycles of poverty and exploitation, one life at a time.

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