NGO establishes vocational centre at Pelungu

Pelungu (U/E) July 23, GNA - Human Resource Community Services Support (HRCSS), a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has established a vocational centre at Pelungu, in the Nabdam Constituency near Bolgatanga to train girls in dressmaking.

The NGO has already procured a number of sewing machines and accessories to immediately start the training, which would be for free, and has placed advertisement on radio to admit trainees.

The Co-ordinator of the HRCSS, Mr. Boniface Gambila, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Pelungu on Monday said the NGO's action is in response to the appeal made by government to give skill training and empowerment to the youth, especially those at the rural communities.

He said the location of the centre in the Nabdam constituency is to boost the human resources of the area in preparation towards the creation of the district in the Nabdam-Talensi constituencies.

Last year, the President John Agyekum Kufour, announced the elevation of some districts in the region to a municipal status, including the creation of the Nabdam-Talensi District.

Mr. Gambila said the training would take the form of an intensive three-month training whereby the girls would specialise in a particular area of dressmaking and pass out within that period. The Co-ordinator said the centre would have health education component with focus on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to enable them to become accustomed to hygienic practices.

Mr. Gambila, who is also the National Co-ordinator of the National Service Scheme, said HRCSS focuses on developing skills and talents of the youth, especially those in the rural communities to make them more responsive and contribute to the socio-economic development of their communities.

He expressed the hope that the skill when acquired would discourage the girls from travelling to southern Ghana, only to engage in menial jobs.

"It is our hope that when even they migrate, they should have some skills to enable them to have descent jobs," he said.