The Upper West Regional Youth Parliament with support from Plan International Ghana has held a capacity building training on vocational skills for young girls in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region.
The two-day intensive vocational training, held on April 23 – 24, 2024 at Funsi, was an add-up to a bead-making workshop which was held for the girls last year and formed part of the interventions of the Youth Parliament towards reducing adolescent pregnancies in the district.
According to the Speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, Rt Hon James Baba Anabiga the training aimed to upgrade the skills of the girls with new and emerging artistic perspectives of making beads to serve the ever-growing fashion needs of customers.
He expressed satisfaction that the girls who took part in the training last year were making good use of their skills in producing and selling beaded products.
"The feedback I got from some places was that good. I understand some of you went ahead to continue producing bead [products] with different varieties and selling. People from Jumo, I was told that during the sallah [Islamic festival] period, you were able to make some good sales and how you've been selling and giving money to madam Comfort [community volunteer] to go to Wa to buy beads for you to continue. And those from Funsi here, a number of you, I've gotten feedback that you are doing well," he indicated.
He said the capacity enhancement training was consistent with a request made by the girls to be trained on new ways of producing the beaded products.
"We are again because a lot of new things have come up and before we came, usually we call find out what you actually want. We don't just get up and come, we want to know what you actually want and we try to work towards that," he said.
Rt Hon Anabiga said the overarching objective behind the training was to offer the young girls livelihood skills to enable them to take care of their basic needs, especially reproductive health needs.
He emphasized that the Youth Parliament was interested in safeguarding and protecting the educational and reproductive health rights and well-being of the girls.
"We will always do our best to ensure that your lives are made better, to ensure that you do not give yourselves to men because you want money to buy toothpaste, money to sanitary pads, or money for this and that," he stated.
He urged the girls to take proper care of themselves and be advocates "that no lady or girl should give herself to a man" for whatever reason.
He, thus, called on the girls to attach seriousness to the training "so you can be on your own and once you are on your own, no man can use money to lure you to sleep with you."
The Assembly Member for Buffiama Electoral Area, Hon Moses Kankpan also urged the participants to take the training as a golden opportunity to be self-employed in an era of job scarcity in the country.
“In the world we are now, if you acquire hands-on skills, is far better than just waiting to be employed by the government or someone else because there are no jobs,” he encouraged.
He added learning a skill is never a waste as he indicated that one can even be employed by the government and with her skills, she would be able to earn extra income aside from her main job.
The training covered areas of sandal decoration, necklaces, key holders, ladies' stomach belts, and earrings of various designs and styling.
The participants, numbering about 30, were drawn from Buffiama, Funsi, Jumo, and Kundungu communities.