Monrovia – Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security over the weekend launched a slum peacepreneurs project to empower over 250 disadvantage youths across Montserrado County.
The project title: “Slum Peacepreneurs Hub”, which also seeks to create Urban peace dialogue amongst disadvantage youths was held at the Paynesville Town Hall under the theme:” Strengthening Youth Resilence To Organized Crime and Gang Violence.”
The target communities that benefited from this project include, the Gobachop Community, King Gray Community, Duport Communities among others.
Speaking at the program, the Head of Programs at ABIC, Gifty Mensah said youths in slums and ghettos are challenged with lack of basic services, little or no education, and employable skills to deal with the issues of creating their identity, shouldering responsibility and surviving on their own.
“Therefore, creating economic opportunities for such population is crucial for the peace and security of the country. Against this backdrop, ABIC in partnership with the Global Initiative, and Residence Fund piloted an entrepreneurial project in six communities for over 250 gang youths between August and November 2020.”
She added: “This project was the first to link youths from selected slums and ghettos with entrepreneurship which will ultimately create role models for other gang members within their communities, thereby breaking the stereotypes attached to these youths.”
Madam Mensah further added that the goal of the project is to identify youths in selected communities, train them and provide seed capital to commence a business venture within their communities.
Also speaking, the Chair of Board of ABIC, Madam Olubanke King-Akerele called on the disadvantage youths to make use of the skills acquired to contribute to national development.
“You have to contribute to maintaining the Lonestar; doing concrete things. Organized yourselves and do things, stop sitting doing nothing and complaining,” She added.
For her part, the Establishment Coordinator of ABIC, Yvette Chesson-Wureh urged disadvantage youths to create projects, using their skills to contribute positively to society.
“Despite the challenges that you are faced with, you can do the best,” She added.
Andy Turay, a disadvantage youths of New Georgia Community and a beneficiary of the program, thanked Angie Brooks International Centre for the training.
Turay called on the organization to build a Rehabilitation center to allow them leave the streets.
“We you to help build a rehabilitation center for is to leave the streets. We are tired living in streets. We continue to stay in streets, we will not be able to apply the skills we acquired for tomorrow,” Turay added.
