Sinapi Aba, Lady Julia Foundation Support 300 Youth in Apprenticeship Programme
The Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans Ltd and the Lady Julia Osei Tutu Foundation, in partnership with Opportunity International, have commissioned 300 vulnerable youth into apprenticeship in the Ashanti Region under the Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YAP).
YAP is a social intervention policy that has successfully trained thousands of vulnerable Ghanaian youth in skills over the past 21 years since its inception.
The programme seeks to support the less privileged and “hopeless” youth aged between 15 and 24 of which most of them are females.
They are ushered into a three-year apprenticeship programme free of charge of which Sinapi Aba and its partners fully absorb the charges including their apprenticeship fee and also provide them with all the necessary tools for the three year period.
The latest edition which saw 300 youth ushered into the apprenticeship programme was launched on Tuesday, 28th May, 2024, at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi.
Speaking to Opemsuo News, the Chief Programmes Officer for Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, Joyce Owusu Dabo, said the 2024 edition falls in line with the 30th anniversary celebrations of the company.
“This event is part of the activities of our 30th anniversary. We are doing this in partnership with Her Royal Highness and the Lady Julia Foundation to support the underprivileged youth in Kumasi to be self-sufficient in the future and be able to contribute to national development”.
Explaining the rationale behind the Youth Apprenticeship Programme, Joyce Owusu-Dabo said Sinapi Aba realised that “young ones who are unable to further their education at the secondary and tertiary levels go through struggles trying to take care of themselves and their families so Sinapi Aba has come in to support these young Ghanaians”.
A Board Member of Sinapi Aba and Principal of the Jackson University College, Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, expressed her excitement as she recalls the impact they have made on the youth across the nation through the YAP.
“What excites me most about this programme is the testimonies given by beneficiaries. They will tell you through Sinapi Aba I have established myself, I’m building my own house, I have acquired a land, I am married and taking care of my family and many more, that is the kind of impact we are making on the youth and I am excited” she noted.
All 300 beneficiaries will receive start-up capital from Sinapi Aba to set up their respective businesses. Each of them were given learning tools right after the launch and handed to their tutors to begin their training. After completing their training, they will sit for examinations and upon passing, receive TVET certificates.
The event was attended by the leadership of Sinapi Aba, including Board Member Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, CEO Mr. Tony Fosu, and Chief Programmes Officer Joyce Owusu-Dabo, as well as foreign partners from Opportunity International representing the USA, UK, Canada, and Germany.
Story by George Addo
