Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd. (OISL) recently celebrated the graduation of 30 young ladies who participated in its flagship vocational skills training program, which is focused on transforming the lives of Street Porters aka Kayayei.

The event took place in Kumasi at the Methodist Training Center on August 30, 2024.

These ladies completed an intensive four-week life skills training program in vocational skills such as Baking, bead making and Soap making, laying a strong foundation for their financial independence and personal growth.

Each participant received a stipend of GH¢400 during the training period together with an extra GH¢100 to open a bank account for them with the institution.

During the program, the ladies were provided with three-course meals, free accommodation, and personal hygiene kits.

As part of their graduation, the ladies were also given startup kits worth GH¢2,500 each and awarded certificates to celebrate their dedication and perseverance in completing the program.

The event was graced by Hajia Azara Abukari-Haroun, Chairperson of the Board Transformation Committee of OISL, who was also the chairperson of the event.

Other dignitaries at the event included Theophilia Esther Larbie, Head of the Transformation Department of OISL, Isaac Gyesi, Head of Compliance at OISL, and Richard Anyamesem, Head of Marketing at OISL, along with other staff and management of the company.

Other notable attendees included Osman Zibilim, Chairman of the Kumasi Kayayie Association, Iddrisu Mahama, and Haruna Alhassan, the Dagomba Chiefs of Kwadaso and Perkyi respectively.

In her opening remarks, Hajia Abukari-Haroun emphasized the importance of transformation and sustainability, urging the ladies to recognise their current position as a foundation for future progress.

She inspired the graduates to focus on the opportunities ahead, assuring them that their hard work would lead to a better future for themselves and their children.

Osman Zibilim expressed his gratitude to OISL and its current partner Medicor Foundation for supporting the Kayayei community in Kumasi.

He encouraged the graduates to embrace their bright future, leaving behind their past struggles.

The Kayayei Project is a collaboration between Opportunity International Savings and Loans and the Medicor Foundation, aimed at empowering and educating these marginalized ladies.

The Medicor Foundation which is based in the UK is an independent charitable organization, that focuses on education, health, and social care to improve the well-being of the vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.

Since the inception of the program in 2019, 322 ladies have been trained, with over 70% now utilising their skills to support themselves and their families.

Notably, 140 of these ladies (43%) have relocated back to the Northern part of the country for resettlement.

These women serve as living proof of the potential that can be unlocked through proper support and opportunities.

Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd. currently has thirty- eight (38) branches in ten (10) out of the sixteen (16) regions of Ghana serving over 675,000 clients across the country.

It is a subsidiary of Opportunity International, a global organization with its Head Office in Chicago delivering services and programs to clients in 30 countries across the globe and serving over 20 million customers with Micro Banking, Micro Insurance, Agriculture, Education Finance, and Innovative Non-Financial Services.