Monrovia – Over 600 vulnerable youths in the borough of New Kru Town have completed basic skills training on possible ways to improve their livelihood.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
The training targeted youths from five communities especially women who are badly marginalized and challenged economically.
According to Defense for Children International Executive Director Foday Kawah, participants were selected following series of survey conducted in these affected communities.
The training was geared towards empowering youth address to ensure to deal with conditions that are faced with.
“Based on the survey conducted, we decided to target people in these communities and we were able to target about 600 vulnerable and marginalized youths in these communities,” Kawah said.
Kawah told FrontPage Africa over the weekend, that the training was part of a project focused on business skills, where livelihood and business entrepreneur skill can effectively benefit the less fortunate.
“These marginalized and less fortunate youths will now be able to get involved in businesses that are in demand in the Borough of New Kru Town which will be beneficiary to them,” Kawah stated.
According to him, the training will last for two and a half years and will consider thorough monitoring through a community-based process with the involvement of social workers who will help in maintaining a loan scheme for individuals who have undergone the training and have existing business.
The loan scheme will also benefit young people who are expected to form series of units for joint business operation. Kawah said the provision of livelihood grants through village saving loan scheme is important as well and it’s strategic in developing the business of the trainees.
The move by Defense for Children International according to its director is in line with the government’s Agenda for Transformation (AfT).
“One way of the other, we are partners in government and we intend to support these initiatives base upon government policies when it comes to the Agenda for Transformation,” Kawah stressed.
He maintained that there were criteria set for participants who are to benefit from the project – one of which is having an existing business.
“These are the people that will receive direct funding from us and these people will be place into groups. This is why we trained 600 of them,” the Defense for Children boss disclosed.
Kawah in the meantime, said the project is a ‘Pilot Project’ and may be extended in the future.
Meanwhile, Kawah wants beneficiaries to take advantage of every opportunity that tend to improve their skills and benefit them.