On January 23rd and 24th, 2024, YAD added another chapter to its ongoing youth and women’s empowerment initiatives by hosting its annual TVET graduation in a spectacular fashion. Each year, the organization certifies a minimum of 60 underprivileged youths who have successfully completed 24 months of training in various professions. This year’s event honored 55 graduates, comprising 6 males and 49 females. What makes this program particularly special is the cost-free nature of the training and provision of free start-up packages offered to graduates every year.
The occasion was attended by numerous stakeholders, including representatives from the Kenema District Council, Kenema City Council, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Ministry of Labor, National Youth Commission, National TechVoc Council, the Interagency Forum, and hundreds of supporters from various youth organizations.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, an Annual Youth Unification Match took place, featuring students from the Youth Resource Academy (YRA) and the Ready Salone project. The match concluded with a score of 1-0 in favor of the female team from Youth Resource Academy, while the male team of Ready Salone triumphed with a score of 3-0.
In his keynote address before the certificate and start-up kit distribution, Programme Director Othman Sheriff urged the graduates to utilize the kits effectively to establish their own artisan businesses after graduation. He noted that YAD has conducted annual graduations since 2019, marking this as the fifth edition with a total of 257 kits awarded across various professions. He also revealed that the 2025 edition will provide start-ups to 55 students, including 49 females and 6 males, who successfully complete training in fields such as beauty therapy/cosmetology, catering and hospitality management, tailoring/hairdressing, and secretarial and office management. Sheriff appealed to stakeholders to support advocacy for free TVET education, emphasizing that this could help Sierra Leone compete with other countries in Africa in terms of developing middle-level manpower. “What makes countries like Germany, France, and the United Kingdom the strongest economies in Europe is their middle-level manpower,” he asserted. “I strongly believe that Sierra Leone can achieve similar success if we allocate more attention and resources to TVET education.”
Various speakers, including Mr. Aloysius Dumbly from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and Santikie Kanu from Welthungerhilfe, encouraged the graduates to make the most of their newly acquired skills and the start-up kits provided by YAD, reminding them that they are fortunate to receive such opportunities, unlike many other youths seeking the same support.
Certificates and start-up kits were awarded by several notable personalities in attendance. It’s important to note that YRA was established in 2019 as a youth and female empowerment initiative through TVET education. It is recognized by the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and accredited by the NCTVA as one of the best TVET institutes in the country.
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