A total of 81 adult literates in Adafienu and Penyi, both communities in the Volta Region, on August 11, 2018, graduated from Engage Now Africa (ENA’s) literacy programme.

Apart from learning how to read and write, the elderly persons were also trained in how to produce soaps and other detergents, tie and die, hair food and talcum powder.

At Adafienu, the graduation ceremony was chaired by Mr. Wilson Agbanyo, the Volta Region Director for Non-Formal Education.

He commended ENA for extending the training opportunity to the people in the region and asked that it should be introduced in all 25 districts in the region. ENA is currently present in only five districts in the region.

He urged the new graduates to put to use the numeracy and literacy skills acquired so as to improve their lives and that of their families.

He also urged the government to support such literacy programs and the beneficiaries by advancing small grants to the graduates to improve their businesses.

At Penyi, an opinion leader, Mr. John Gahoho, stressed the need for the learners to be examples to the rest of their peers in the community.

He said skills acquired by graduates like keeping stock of materials they sell, measuring profits and losses, understanding taxes and other government policies, would make them better and responsible citizens.

The country director of ENA, Mrs. Cecilia Amankwah, was grateful for the warm reception of the people and the leaders of the communities.

She said ENA is committed to training as many people that will be willing and able to take part in the literacy programmes.