A non-governmental organization operating in skills training and healthcare in Ghana, Amicus Onlus, has inaugurated a 400 seating capacity youth center at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Apam in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region.
The project, financed by the Italian Catholic Bishop’s Conference in collaboration with Amicus Onlus restructured and refurbished an old abandoned church building to an ultra-modern educational and recreational hub for the youth of Apam.
The center, furnished with sewing machines, ICT equipment, conference and meeting facilities will offer opportunities to the high number of unemployed youth in the area to acquire bread-winning skills.
During the inauguration, the first batch of students from the neighboring town of Mumford (Jomah) who for the past year have received training from Amicus Onlus and have successfully completed their formation will each receive a brand new sewing machine to enable them start their small-scale entrepreneurship activities.
A large proportion of these students are young mothers who through their earnings will cater for their households.
Present at the event was the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E Giovanni Favilli, the Spanish Ambassador, H.E Alicia Rico, Miss Dana Chocron, Country Rep for MASHAV, Israel, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast Most Rev. Monsignor Bonaventure Annan, the chiefs and people of Apam, the Catholic faithful guided by the Parish Priest Rev. Fr James Akpanyi and other dignitaries.
According to the President of Amicus Onlus, Dr. Caesar Atuire “Amicus is committed to working with communities to provide concrete and tangible solutions to the various challenges in Ghana, particularly enabling young women and men to acquire the skills necessary to gain self-sustaining occupation.”
“Amicus believes that life-changing solutions and opportunities can only be sustainably achieved through real collaboration and engagement with stakeholders and not a top to bottom one measure for all solutions,” he added.
The Italian Ambassador to Ghana H.E Giovanni Favilli indicated that the establishment of the youth centre would help engage the youth of Apam into leaning a skill adding that the days when the youth of the town engage in social vices is long gone.
According to him, the 70,000 euro project is one of Amicus Onlus developmental projects across the country.
Touching on the issue of maintenance, Most Reverend Monsignor Bonaventure Annan the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast hinted that the Church would set up a committee who would engage the various stakeholders like the youth in the community who use the place to keep the facility clean.
Again the committee would engage the Apam District Assembly to help in the painting of the facility from time to time.
Maame Esi, a beneficiary of a skill training program from Amicus Onlus was optimistic that the skill acquired will go a long way to improve upon her life.
“Now that I am a beneficiary of a sewing machine, it will help me get my daily bread,” she added.
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By: Calvis Tetteh | citinewsroom.com | Ghana