Poverty-stricken youth in some selected rural communities in the Ashanti Region will be resourced to become economically viable and independent.

Some say negative peer-influence and economic hardship have resulted in uninformed choices, unemployment and underemployment.

Students who failed to continue formal education will be targeted.

This is an initiative by Compassion International Ghana to train and imbibe vocational and entrepreneurship skills in students.

Fourteen-year-old Ansu Gyeabour Achiamaah makes dresses, beads and strapped sandals.

Income generated from the artefacts is used to support her education.

Coming from a rural community, there is little funds to support Achiamaah’s education.

“Officials of Compassion International came to our village. They said they wanted children to train. I was 3 years old at that time. My grandmother registered me and I became a Compassion beneficiary,”

“I can make keyholders, fascinators, headbands etc. They engage us every Saturday to train us. Typically, on a Saturday, I would rather stay home and watch TV. But now I have a vocational center to go to learn some skills,” she said.

But, an intervention by Compassion International has helped children below and above Achiamaah’s age to be trained to acquire vocational skills.

The non-governmental organization has partnered churches to set up centers to address challenges faced by the youth.

Reverend John Ganyor is Pastor at the Global Evangelical Church, which manages the Emmanuel Child and Youth Development Centre.

He says pupils will be equipped with technical and professional skills needed for socio-economic and industrial development.

“This partnership with the church is helping in many ways. We have 15 children at our center being trained in dressmaking. Sewing machines have been provided for them. Others are learning how to trim hair. A few have been trained by keyboardists and trumpeters. With this trade and talents, they can definitely feed their mother churches,” he said.

Resources have been allocated to partnered churches for the implementation of the program.

Project Coordinator at Bishop Speaks A.M.E Church, Rosemond Arhin says monitoring and evaluation mechanisms have been set up to track measurable outcomes.