Prospective returnee Kayayei girls supported to learn vocational skills in Northern Ghana

The Centre for Development and Policy Advocacy (CEDEPA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Tamale, in partnership with Safe Child Advocacy (SCA), another NGO based in Kumasi has provided support for 17 prospective and returnee Kayayei girls to undertake training in hairdressing, tailoring and weaving in three communities in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The communities are Zangbalun in the Kumbungu District, Gbrimani in the Tolon District and Kotingli in the Tamale Metropolis.

The beneficiaries were supported with the training tools and equipment that they need to learn the various skills and money to pay their training fees.

This support forms part of the "Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities Project" which was launched in the three selected communities in January 2022 with financial support from KZE Misereor in Germany, as well as Wilde Ganzen and Adamfo Ghana, both based in the Netherlands.

The aim of the project is to safeguard the rights and create equal opportunities for street-connected children, and children in other vulnerable situations. It is also intended to stop the increasing trend of migration of young girls to the big cities of Kumasi and Accra, which exposes them to many abuse and dangers.

Presenting the support to some of the beneficiaries and their guardians at Kotingli on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, Mr. Ziblim Alhassan, the Project Coordinator and Focal Person at CEDEPA, urged parents and guardians to constantly monitor, support and encourage their wards to take the skills training programme seriously to become self-sufficient.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, the Assembly Member for the Kotingli Electoral Area, Hon. Abubakari Imoro expressed gratitude to CEDEPA and their partners for their generous and continuous support.