MONROVIA – The International Organization For Migration (IOM) Liberia, through its Migrants as Messengers project, has donated 29 sewing machines to the Business and Domestic Training Occupational Center (BDOTC) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The vocational institution is run by the Ministry of Youth and sports to build the capacities of youths and other Liberians in diverse professional skills. Students were delighted to receive the machines, which the Ministry described as a body to the program.
The donation is IOM through its Migrants of messengers’ program’s way of supporting the Ministry of Youths and Sports to enhance vocational education in the country.
Donating over the weekend in Paynesville, the Country Director of IOM, Mohamed Cherif Diallo said the purpose of the donation is to ensure Liberians are self-efficient and productive on their own, then being faced with difficulties.
“Our partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports is to help train more young people with vocational skills for a better tomorrow,” Diallo said.
“When people are empowered, they can contribute to the growth and development of the state.”
According to him, the empowerment of these Liberians through vocational skills will enable them to contribute to the growth and development of the state.
Mr. Diallo further noted that their partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports is focused on helping to train more young people as a way of making them supportive of their families.
He further said the IOM Migrants As Messengers project intends to discourage the issue of irregular migration in the world due to the difficulties faced by its population.
“At IOM, we want to discourage the issue of irregular migration in the world due to the difficult people normally faced,” Diallo stressed.
He lauded the Ministry of Youth and Sports for working with the IOM and called on the students to make use of the donated items as a way of enhancing their livelihoods.
IOM said there are returned migrants currently pursuing vocational skills at the institution but was sent there by Liberia Refugees Repatriation Resettlement Commission and not IOM.
However, the boss IOM noted that through its Migrants as Messengers Program, they will be sending some volunteers to the school during it following academic year.
Receiving the equipment, Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson lauded IOM for the gesture and, assuring them that the school will use them for their intended purpose.
“This is the first time for your organization to present us such supply and we are very grateful for such a gesture”, Min. Wilson said.
According to Minister Wilson, his institution has, and will always provide quality vocational skills to young people in the country, by empowering them.
He assures IOM Liberia that five Migrants As Messengers volunteers will be given scholarships as a way of better preparing them for the challenge ahead.
“For what you have done here today, we are giving five volunteers scholarships, because as a government, it is our responsibility to educate our people,” Minister Wilson stated.
Meanwhile, Minister Wilson then call on others to emulate the move by IOM, applauding the International Organization for Migration for what he calls, ‘courage’ to help the Ministry of Youth and Sports in empowering more young people.