Abolo sellers, hawkers at Kpong equipped with employable skills

Thirty-five (35) young women, mostly Abolo sellers have been equipped with various employable skills through the MAGG Project, an initiative of Thinking Minds Ghana at Kpong in the Eastern Region.

Thinking Minds Ghana (NGO) is an enterprise and social innovation hub with a focus on underprivileged communities.

The organization develops innovations in education and rural business development which creates sustainable communities and improves livelihoods through practical skills training, economic empowerment, and advocacy/support initiatives by providing tailor-made TVET programs and business support interventions for women-led enterprises, early-stage artisanal businesses and farmers in rural Ghana.

The beneficiaries after nine months of intensive training and 3 months of internship, graduated in fashion and cosmetology which included make-up and hair styling.

To signify their successful completion, the graduands during the ceremony, were presented with certificates.

The MAGG Project uses vocational skills and entrepreneurship training for the socioeconomic empowerment of marginalized groups including women, street hawkers single mothers, as well as the promotion of the reproductive and sexual rights and health of rural women.

Executive Director of Thinking Minds Ghana, Seth Panyin Boamah explained that it became imperative to target the vulnerable young people who daily risked their lives on the streets to make ends meet, some of whom end up being exploited.

“The project is aimed at providing decent jobs to mitigate the social vices associated with street hawking paramount among them were human trafficking, sexual and human rights abuses,” he explained.

Associate Director of Thinking Minds Ghana, Samuel Kakra Boamah said as part of the exit plan for beneficiaries of the project, a co-working space will be created.

"The space will provide affordable studio and working space for freshly graduated artisans at flexible terms as well as long-term contracts while others even have drop-in or weekly rates", he said.

He averred that though 356 interested persons applied for the opportunity, only 40 were admitted into the program due to funding challenges.

He, therefore, appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations to come on board and support the efforts of Thinking Minds to enable them to admit and train more young people to clear them off the streets.

The MCE for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh promised his continuous support for the organizers to enable them to offer training for more deprived persons in the municipality.

He was hopeful that Thinking Minds would realize its dream to establish an industrial hub to enable them to train more young people as part of efforts to rid the Kpong area of youth unemployment

He added that though the assembly was playing its part, more corporate bodies must contribute their quota to support the noble initiative.

The Assembly Chief also received a humanitarian award from Thinking Minds Ghana in recognition of his outstanding dedication, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those in need.

One of the beneficiaries who studied fashion design, Yakubu Isha in an interview expressed delight in being a beneficiary of the project and has dreams of going on to become one of the best fashion designers around.

Click here to start the nomination process for the 2023 GhanaWeb Excellence Awards