By John Fornah
In a bid to reduce youth unemployment in the country, the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) with support from GIZ under the Employment Promotional Programme (EPP III) organized a two-day capacity development training for thirty-four (34) beneficiaries of the Facility for Innovation (F4I) project from Kailahun, Kenema and Kono districts.
The primary goal of this project is to reduce the high rate of youth unemployment in the country. The programme is also designed to support employment opportunities for young people with innovative business ideas, with the view of improving on their skills, capabilities and businesses.
Beneficiaries from Kailahun and Kenema were trained in the Kenema District Council Hall in Kenema District whilst beneficiaries from Kono were trained in the Kono District Council Hall in Kono District.
Delivering the keynote address in the Kenema District Council Hall in Kenema District on Saturday, 21st September 2019 the chairperson described the participants as ‘unique’ and emphasised that they were selected based on their special and proven skills in their respective fields. He implored them to recognize their uniqueness and channel their energies towards establishing big businesses in the country.
Mr. Rashid Bah Senior Director of Programmes NaCSA, maintained that NaCSA and GIZ will continue to support them with a view that they would become outstanding suppliers in the future.
Also, delivering the keynote address in the Kono District Council Hall in Kono District, Dr. Susan Roberts, the Senior Director Quality Assurance and Programme Development NaCSA Dr. Susan Robert congratulated the beneficiaries for being selected among thousands.
She implored them to strive towards becoming employers rather than employees. She underscored that this project is in line with the President’s vision of improving on the Human Development Index in the country. She advised them to be diligent in their respective businesses and be very sensitive to the changing business environment.
In his address to the beneficiaries, the NaCSA Programme Manager for the GIZ funded Employment Promotional Programme (EPP III), Mr. Leonard Moseray registered his delight over the competence of the young people selected for the program. He admonished the beneficiaries to maintain the passion they have as a start-up capital for the beneficiaries have been provided by GIZ but managed by NaCSA.
The package he said includes procurement of the needed equipment and raw materials to actualise their dreams, as the objective of the project is to improve on the private sector youth employment with innovative ideas. He encouraged them to treat this opportunity with the utmost seriousness it deserves.
The program was climaxed with the presentation of the training manual on “Basic Business Management’.
