The Mano River Union (MRU) on January 12 handed over air tickets to successful candidates to attend the MRU/UNIDO youth entrepreneurship skills development initiative technical training for three months in India.
The training will be organized at a reputable institution in India
The four youth entrepreneurs are: Philip Sesay, John Dalton Conteh, Adama Kema Saffa and Arthur Evelyn Chinsman .
Two resource persons: Ansu Sheriff Kamanda from Help Sierra Leone and Donald M.S. Mackay from the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM).
They will leave today on board SN Brussels and will return on April 16, 2012.
The four youths were selected based on their project ideas aimed at creating employment for youths in the country.
Philip Sesay’s project idea is with making school and ladies bags from recycled plastic; Adama Saffa’s project ideals with cooling facility and ice block making in Moyamba; John Dalton Conteh’s idea project deals with water processing and marketing while Arthur Chinsman Williams’ project deals with Soya Milk production.
The six Sierra Leoneans will join other youth entrepreneurs and resource persons from Cote D’ Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia.
In her welcome address, MRU Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Linda Koroma said that MRU is very interested in youths in their development and also what they have to give to society.
“We are not only looking at the social development aspect that they bring into society but we are also looking at the economic aspect” she said.
Mrs. Koroma noted that gone are the days when we used to look at youths as liabilities in our society.
They are not a liability; they are an asset to society. They have potentials and we need to tap on those potentials and create the environment where they could exhibit such potentials so that they in turn can impact on the society.
She explained that the MRU and UNIDO have a multi stakeholder project and this project focuses on youths and MRU has been partnering with UNIDO as a credible partner in the implementation of the project.
Mrs. Koroma stated that the selection process was very transparent, credible in selecting the beneficiaries of the project. The same thing, she said, was done in Cote D Ivoire, Liberia and Guinea.
She thanked the Indian government for their support and for exposing youths to their technology
Giving a brief overview of the project and introduction of the selected candidates, UNIDO Head of Operations, Dr. Stephen Kargbo said that UNIDO is a specialized agency in the United Nations which focuses on sustainable industrial development.
He reiterated that they have established skills training centers in the country to build the capacity of youths.
Dr Kargbo explained that the four candidates were selected based on their project ideas and on the basis of their interviews.
Youth Commissioner, Anthony Koroma, said that youth unemployment is a regional challenge.
He added that the Youth Commission was formed to stand as a link in terms of promoting youth employment and youth entrepreneurship and the development of young people.
The Indian Consul to Sierra Leone, Harish Agnani, hoped that the candidates will grasp enough knowledge to be passed on to other people.
He appealed to them to pass their knowledge gained to other youths when they return which is more important than anything else.
He revealed that each year the India government gives 50 scholarships to youths in Sierra Leone in various fields.
Acting Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Charles Moinia said that the Ministry was involved in the selection process and is satisfied with it.
One of the candidates Adama Saffa a graduate from Njala University said she was highly honored to be selected to gain technical training in India. Her project she said will create employment for youths.
Also one of the Resource Persons Donald Mackay assured that they will never betray the trust and confidence placed on them.
By Abibatu Kamara
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