For Aisha, who has lived in Manhyia South all her life, getting a menial job to put food on the table became a headache when she dropped out of school at the age of 16.
“It was a tough time for me”, she recalled. “I had to wander about the Kumasi Central Market searching until I got a head porter job but that could not feed the family including my 60-year-old grand mum. Life became unbearable”.
But help came from above, Aisha eventually became a beneficiary of a technical and vocational education programme spearheaded by the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
She was taken through months of skill training to become a fashion designer, her dream job. The project, dubbed “Reducing unemployment through skills training,’’ in partnership with the College of Beauty and Arts and Entrepreneurship (CBAE), started on June 27, 2022.
“What is so unique is that the MP took care of all the equipment needed for the seven weeks’ training programme and start-up equipment, as well. All his efforts to empower his constituents, especially the youth are clear that he is a great leader”, Aisha told dailymailgh.com in tears.
She made these remarks on Friday (27 October) when she joined other beneficiaries of the programme to honour Dr Prempeh for this massive intervention. The brief ceremony brought together Make-Up Artists, Beauticians and Fashion Designers and Computer programmers.
The beneficiaries, now established professionals, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the MP for fully sponsoring their training at various levels and providing the necessary equipment for their entrepreneurial ventures.
“May posterity reward your non-discriminatory leadership”, a citation presented in the lawmaker’s honour read in part.
Dr Prempeh aka Napo shared excerpts of the event on his social media handles. He emphasized his commitment to the welfare of the community, highlighting the fundamental role of empowering the youth. He firmly stated that every individual has value and should be offered the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society.
“Their appreciation and honour were in acknowledgement of the modest contribution I made by fully funding their training at various levels and also supporting them with the equipment required for their start-ups. It is heartwarming and exciting that today, they are full professionals, plying their trade for the benefit of not only themselves but their families and by extension, the whole country”, the MP who doubles as Ghana’s Energy Minister wrote on Facebook.
“These recognitions do not in any way make me complacent, and thus, pray to the almighty God to continue to grant me the needed capacity to continue to do more not just for the people of Manhyia South, the good people I represent, but all the people I come into contact with, regardless of their persuasions,” he added.
The event also coincided with the inauguration of the new Manhyia South Secretariat of the New Patriotic Party, aiming to bolster the party’s operations within the constituency in preparation for the upcoming 2024 elections.
The newly opened office serves as part of the party’s strategic efforts to strengthen its position in the constituency for the crucial 2024 electoral period. This move is part of a broader effort to enhance the party’s presence and organizational effectiveness ahead of the upcoming elections.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH
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