50 women complete STEP programme

Volo (V/R), June 13, GNA - Fifty women trainees graduated from the Volo Women in Development (VOWID) Institute at a ceremony at Volo in the North Tongu District, after a training programme in tie and dye/batik, food processing and soap making.

The 15-week programme, the first of its kind to be organised by the Institute, was under the umbrella of the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment's Skill Training and Employment Placement (STEP) package.

The graduands were presented with certificates of participation from the Ministry.

Speaking at the function, Togbega Kwaku Abliza the Fourth, Paramount Chief of the Volo Traditional Area, advised the graduands to put the training they had acquired into practice for the benefit of society.

Togbega Abliza appealed to the Ministry of Roads and Transport to tar the 40-kilometre road linking Juapong to Adidome through Volo, to facilitate the evacuation of goods and services.

Mr Netsey Brown, Assemblyman for the town, appealed to non-governmental organisations to assist the people with funding to help complete a teachers' bungalow and other projects.

Madam Grace Attah, Head of VOWID, lauded government for some financial assistance towards the training programme, and expressed optimism that additional funds would be released to enable the graduands to put their skills into good use.

Mr Lawrence Ofori Agyepong, Manager of the North Tongu Rural Bank, assured the graduands of the bank's preparedness to grant them loans, and therefore advised them to form co-operative groups in order to qualify for the facility.

Mr J B Dzisenu, District Information Officer urged people in the area to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme so as to benefit from quality health delivery.

On employment, he advised the youth against drifting into urban centres in search of non-existent white-collar jobs, reminding them that it was only through the acquisition of employable skills that would make them self-reliant. 13 June 04