First batch of Kayayei graduate from NEIP Skills training programme
By Selorm GBORBIDZI, Accra
The first batch of 600 head porters to undergo skills training under the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme’s (NEIP’s) Kayayei Empowerment Programme has graduated.
The girls, mostly from the five regions of the North, underwent a month-long training program in various skills development courses.
Of the 600, half came from Madina, while the other half came from Ashaiman.
About 170 of the girls were trained in soap and detergent making, 172 trained in baking, 47 were trained in bead and jewelry making, 17 learned event decoration, 148 received training in makeup artistry, and 40 learned how to do pedicures and manicures.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEIP, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, reminded the girls that the graduation ceremony is just the beginning of their entrepreneurship journey.
He told them, “With the skills you have acquired, you have the power to shape your destiny and inspire others with your stories of resilience.”
Nkansah assured the girls that the NEIP will not abandon them but will visit them to see how well they are doing in their chosen trade areas.
He promised the graduating ‘kayayei’ that they would receive the balance of the GH¢1,000 they had been promised at the commencement of their training.
The girls also received a starter pack to enable them to take their first entrepreneurial steps.
The CEO of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, in a speech delivered on her behalf, said the GEA stands ready to support them as they venture into the world of business. She advised the girls to be innovative and not just stick to what they have learned in the one month of training.
She also advised them to never stop learning and to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality, Jennifer Dede Afagbedzi, urged the girls to find ways of marketing their newly acquired skills to create jobs for themselves.
She said, “Do not disappoint the Vice-President, but work to create jobs using your acquired skills.”
