NORSAAC has empowered eleven trainees at Sang in the Mion district of the northern region with startup equipment to be able to scan job opportunities in their communities and to assess business opportunities in order to achieve better living conditions.
The eleven trainees selected from seven communities were trained in welding, phone repairs and satellite installation. The project was aimed at providing skills to young men and women in the beneficiary communities to improve their livelihoods. The one year training saw the trainees increase their knowledge in sexual reproductive health and business skills.
At the graduation ceremony, the project manager, Mr. Mohammed Ukasha noted that fifteen young people were initially selected for the training, but four dropped of which two were females, this, he mentioned, caused NORSAAC not to meet the target of training the fifteen young people.
In addition to providing the trainees with much needed skills, the project also sought to foster a sense of solidarity among them by creating some sort of network for the trainees irrespective of their individual trades.
The project earned glowing support and fervent commitment from parents. Parental support, the project manager stated, was so necessary in the success of the project and parents of the trainees from the inception gave their commitment to the project. Mr. Ukasha mentioned the feeding of the trainees, monitoring of their wards, assisting trainees with accommodation, and facilitation of the process of getting spaces (land) for the establishment of workshops for their wards as some of the support from parents.
Despite the success of the project, it sure did not lack some challenges, Mr. Ukasha pointed out. Some of these challenges included drop-out, postponement of project inception and gender job stereotype. He noted that NORSAAC intends rolling out motorbike repairs, carpentry, masonry, beads, dress, batik, tie and dye making.
Mr. Fatawu Abdul –Gafaru, a trainee who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, thanked NORSAAC for the opportunity given them and assured the organization that they will put up their own shops and as well train others.
