The Chief of Mateso in the Techiman South Municipality, Nana Ati Adjei, in collaboration with EcoGreen Oases Legacy, has successfully organized a three-day Green Skills Training program for 100 residents of the community aimed at promoting climate action, waste recycling and entrepreneurship.
The initiative trained young people, persons with disabilities and returnees in practical skills focused on transforming waste materials into profitable products while addressing environmental challenges and unemployment in society.
Speaking during the program, the Founder and Executive Director of EcoGreen Oases Legacy and winner of the 2024 Ghana’s Most Beautiful pageant, Queen Nihad Titiaka Ibrahim, explained that the project seeks to empower communities through climate-smart initiatives including recycling, upcycling, tree planting, waste management and the promotion of clean cooking solutions.
She disclosed that the initiative was funded by the German Sparkassenstiftung (DSIK) with support from the European Union.
According to her, the training was designed to equip participants with practical skills to turn waste into wealth and convert trash into cash while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.
“We are here for the Green Skills Training organized by EcoGreen Oases Legacy, an organization of which I am the Founder and Executive Director. Our project is geared towards empowering communities for climate action through recycling and upcycling, tree planting, waste management, and the promotion of clean cooking solutions.
”The initiative is funded by the German Sparkassenstiftung with support from the European Union. We are here to equip young people, persons with disabilities, and returnees with skills in turning waste into wealth and trash into cash. We identified climate change as one of the biggest threats facing the world today, but we also identified opportunities within the challenge.”
Queen Titiaka noted that participants were trained to transform used car tires into chairs, sofas, mirrors and other decorative items using waste materials including plastic spoons.
She explained that the initiative was intended to reduce unemployment while promoting environmental protection through recycling and upcycling.
”That is why we have provided training on how to transform waste materials into useful and profitable products. Participants were trained to convert used car tires into chairs, sofas, mirrors, and decorated items using materials such as plastic spoons. This initiative is aimed at reducing unemployment while at the same time protecting the environment.”
She continued, “We expect the best from the participants. We hope they will continue to practice the skills they have acquired because the training does not end here. If they fail to put the knowledge into practice, it will not yield the expected results and all our efforts will be in vain.”
She commended the participants for their creativity and active involvement throughout the training sessions, indicating that many of them introduced innovative ideas that enhanced the lessons taught during the programme.
Queen Nihad Titiaka Ibrahim, further revealed that start-up kits were presented to the best-performing group after they designed an innovative decorative item using plastic spoons and LED lights.
”The participants were very active throughout the training sessions. They produced very beautiful designs and demonstrated a high level of creativity. In fact, they even improved upon some of the ideas we taught them by introducing innovative concepts of their own. We are very excited and encouraged by what we have seen from them.
”Aside from the training, we also presented start-up kits to the best-performing group, which designed an innovative piece using plastic spoons and LED lights to enhance its appearance.
“Our goal is to ensure that the participants become green entrepreneurs. Beyond the upcycling training, we also introduced them to financial literacy and digital marketing training to help them build sustainable businesses.”
The Matesohene, Nana Ati Adjei, expressed appreciation to Mrs. Titiaka for accepting his request to extend the programme to Mateso after observing similar successful initiatives organized in Tamale and other parts of the country.
“Mrs. Titiaka is a very good friend of mine, and I saw her organizing similar programmes in Tamale and other regions. I therefore asked her to bring the programme to Mateso in Techiman, and she gracefully agreed, for which I am very grateful.” He said.
He noted that many young people are unable to secure capital to start businesses or further their education, stressing that the training offered practical and less capital-intensive opportunities for economic empowerment.
Nana Ati Adjei disclosed plans to establish a training centre at Mateso to sustain the initiative and continue providing employable skills and job opportunities for the youth in the area.
“The program focuses on turning waste products into profitable goods. A total of 100 people benefited from the program, and I am very pleased with the enthusiasm shown by all the participants.
I plan to establish a training center at Mateso in Techiman to continue the project and help provide skills training and job opportunities for the youth in Mateso and the Techiman area as a whole.” He disclosed.
Some participants who spoke to our reporter expressed appreciation to the organizers for providing them with practical skills that could help them earn a living while protecting the environment.
They described the training as timely and impactful, indicating that the knowledge acquired would help them become self-reliant and reduce dependence on white-collar jobs.
The participants further appealed to the organizers to continue extending the program to other communities to empower more young people with green entrepreneurial skills.
Source: Newspyramid.com
