By Josephine Nyeweah in Kenema District
Youth in Action for Development (YAD) and its educational offshoot, Youth Resource Academy (YRA), on Wednesday, 20/12/2023, graduated 62 students after two years of successful training in diverse skills. YRA was co-established by YAD and its overseas partner, Fambul Tik.
The graduation ceremony started with the graduates dressed in their academic gowns processioning through the main streets of Kenema to YAD headquarters at Maxwell Kobe Street, where several stakeholders graced the ceremony.
In his welcoming address, Mr. James Koiva Senesie, a senior tutor at YRA who chaired the occasion, welcomed the guests and thanked them for coming. He further called on the graduates to remain disciplined, humble, and focused after graduation. “By so doing,” he said, “your families shall get immense happiness by seeing you all become positive changemakers who would bring sustainable development to the country.” He further thanked YAD/YRA for the opportunity to chair the occasion.
In her statements on behalf of YAD, the Finance and Social Enterprise Manager, Isata Nombulango, they disclosed that Youth Resource Academy has provided free tuition to all its students since 2020. She added that at the end of every training, students are provided with startup kits to establish their own artisan enterprises to maintain sustainability. She points out that the institution normally uses a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the graduates live a decent lifestyle with their families. Ngombulango further appealed to the parents and guardians to ensure their children take advantage of the opportunity by enrolling them in the institution in subsequent years.
In his keynote address, Othman Sheriff, Director of Fambul Tik, disclosed that the main objective of the institute is to contribute to middle-level manpower development to eradicate youth and female unemployment and foster peace and development in the country. He further revealed that the institution offers diverse courses, including dressmaking, cosmetology, beauty therapy, food and nutrition, screen designing and printing, secretarial and office management, and sports and fitness. He invited every local jobless youth to grab the opportunity and utilize it as a stepping stone to building the future.
Addressing the podium as a guest of honour and grand patron, Mr. Mohamed Allie Sandi pleaded with stakeholders and line ministries, especially the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education, to support the institution so that it can continue complementing the efforts of the central government in the area of TECHVOC education and job creation for the youth. He concluded by donating the sum of $20,000 to settle teachers` stipends.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, the Regional Officer, Aloysius Dumbuya, assured the management of YRA and YAD of his commitment to support their efforts whenever the opportunity arises, adding that the government is supporting similar programs in other parts of the country. He called on the graduates to make good use of the skills they have acquired.
Offering a vote of thanks on behalf of all graduates, Patricia Koroma thanked the staff and management of YAD/YRA and their parents/guardians for supporting them to reach their current destination in life. She assured them that they would live up to expectations. She appealed to other youths and women to make use of the opportunity by enrolling at YRA in subsequent years to acquire livelihood skills and become valuable citizens.
The occasion ended with the conferment of certificates and startup packages to the graduates, including sewing machines, cooking utensils, and cosmetic and hairdressing equipment worth thousands of Leones.
