LESDEP rescues 605 youth in 4 districts

By: Isaac Akwetey-Okunor
Like the old Japanese adage which states that it is better to teach a person how to fish than fish for the person, the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Project (LESDEP), an initiative conceived by the government about 12 months ago to address the unemployment situation in the country, if not completely, to a desirable level, has graduated 605 youth in four districts in the Eastern Region.

The districts include Lower Manya Krobo, Yilo Manya, Akuapem North and New Juaben.

The programme, which was heavily attended, included the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, and the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ebenezer Okletey Terlarbi, among other traditional leaders.

A rich traditional cultural display could not be left out of the impressive ceremony, as the Daasebre Cultural Troop treated the gathering to the dipo dance.

In his welcome address, the Municipal Chief Executive of the New Juaben Assembly, Alex Asamoah, said the LESDEP had become a household name within the short period.

The programme has improved, without doubt, the lives of its beneficiaries, and tasked all and sundry under the programme to use it as his or her breakthrough to becoming a business tycoon, since most business magnates in the world started from humble beginnings.

According to the National Coordinator for the programme, Mr. Adam Gariba, there was no denying the fact that the government cannot provide jobs, and not everybody can get a white collar job, hence instituting the programme.

The programme, he contended, if well sustained, would go a long way to address the unemployment challenges in the country, and urged the beneficiaries to put the opportunity to good use in order to improve their lives.

Meanwhile, about 24,409 youth have so far benefited nationwide from the programme.