THIRD COHORT OF SKILLS TRAINING COMMENCES AT THE GUABULIGA VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE

The third cohort of the skills training has commenced at the Guabuliga Vocational Training Centre in Guabuliga with the induction of one hundred and twenty (120) trainees. They would learn skills ranging from beads and jewelry design, shoemaking, motor fitting, modern and sustainable methods of processing and packaging shea butter to organic gardening. This follows the successful graduation and the ushering in of 60 entrepreneurs from The Training Centre into the world of work. The entrepreneurs acquired skills in baking, textile hand weaving, carpentry and organic gardening. Below are some pictures from the new training programmes.

 

Cultural Experience in Guabuliga

Dear Braveaurora friends,

Since beginning of November I am working as a volunteer with BRAVEAURORA in Guabuliga. The cultural exchange you can get through such an opportunity is huge – in the first moment everything was extremely different and it took me some time, till I got used to my new life circumstances. However, it was and is still very interesting getting to know Ghana - especially Guabuliga - with its culture, nature and friendly people!

Coming from Vienna, the capital of Austria, one big differences for me is living that close in the nature with free running animals. It is fascinating to see, how fast you are getting used to the easier life circumstances, e.g. having a shower with one bucket, eating and cooking with a few bowls and cups and washing your clothes with your hands.

Also, the work takes part under different circumstances e.g. being on time is in Ghana not that closely than in Austria, and fallen out electricity or bad (okay, very bad) internet connection are challenges of daily work. Because of my profession as a kindergartenteacher, the observation of the kindergarten in Guabuliga was very interesting for me. The differences are huge too, like the room and teaching methods are more like school, learning reading and writing is very important, there are 50 and more children in one class and there is less/broken furniture and nearly no teaching or playing material.

However, I like going through Guabuliga and hearing stories about the past, and I can see, how things changed through the support of BRAVEAURORA and are going to change further. I am glad to support BRAVEAURORA in its work for the next months and being a small part of this huge phenomenon – BRAVEAURORA, with exemplary attitudes, great ideas, big aims and huge engagement! 😊

All the best,

Simone

volunteer from November2017 till May2018

Young Ambassadors Visit Ghana Airborne Force

Members of the trailblazing Young Ambassadors Programme decided to take an excursion to the Airborne Force on Friday to acquaint themselves with the work and activities of the force. The trip was powered by Braveaurora to incentivise the hardworking team for the good job done in reaching communities on family-based care over the year.

The decision was reached after carefully considering the relevance of the force in the country's security and disaster response. Happy to welcome the ambassadors, the officers took them through theoretical and practical aspects of their work. 

Some daring ambassadors had the opportunity to go through a number of simulations. They also got to watch the landing of an aircraft and the dynamics involved in parachuting. 

The Force expressed their joy to the ambassadors for their work and extended an open invitation to them anytime they would like to visit. The ambassadors also thanked the officers for their great service to the nation. They parted with joy and content. 

Second Graduation Ceremony

On Thursday the 7th, BA organised a graduation ceremony for the second cohort of the skills training beneficiaries under the theme "alleviating poverty through entrepreneurship". A total of 60 burgeoning entrepreneurs from the fields of weaving, baking, organic gardening and carpentry were inducted into the world of work. These graduates had earlier received their nationally recognised certificates from the National Vocational Training Institute. It was against this backdrop that the regional director of the institute was invited to present the certificates and throw more light on their work.

The ceremony was able to garner the presence of key regional and district level officials in the fields of education and vocational training, social work, and entrepreneurship. These dignitaries were very happy about Braveaurora's role in honing entrepreneurs in the district. They admonished the graduates to see their graduation as a first step as a lot still lies ahead. The graduates were reminded to take their businesses seriously and also work towards scaling and absorbing other idle hands. The District Coordinating Director and District Director of Education of the West Mamprusi District both made passionate appeals to Braveaurora to replicate these development solutions in other areas of the district. They applauded the organisation for the excellent work done in poverty alleviation.

The graduates were very happy to finally receive their certificates after working so hard for it. They expressed their gratitude to Braveaurora foremost, their trainers, family and friends for making it possible for them. They dazzled the crowds with their dance skills. The fresh graduates displayed their colorful products in an exhibition stand for participants to have a feel of their work. They also reiterated their commitment to keep the braveaurora brand alive by joining the other alumni in giving back to their communities. They pledged to make very good use of the skills acquired. 

Braveaurora on the other hand promised to continue its support to the graduates through offering startup capital, business mentoring, venture tie-ups and market linkages. Braveaurora was overjoyed to use the platform to update participants on its recent induction of 120 people from 7 communities into the third cycle of its vocational training programme. 

Braveaurora donates to School and Clinic

Braveaurora during the week donated some trashcans and library books to the Guabuliga Schools and Clinic. This was done in line with the organisation's longstanding aim of supporting partners put an end to the indiscriminate disposal of waste in the community and also to improve learning among students. 

Receiving the items on behalf of the schools, the head teachers expressed their appreciation to Braveaurora for the continuous support to the school. They also promised to put the items into good use. They were excited about the face-lift the trashcans would give the school environment and how much the children would love the new books. 

The nurse in-charge of the Clinic also extended his outfit's profound gratitude to Braveaurora for the kind gesture. He added the clinic's indebtedness to the organisation and stressed that they will put all items donated by Braveaurora to optimal use. 

Expansion of Training Center

Entrepreneurship is a major driver of economies. Its role in lifting people out of poverty and shaping societies cannot be overemphasized. In rural Ghana where there’s little absorption of people by the formal sector, entrepreneurship is tipped to provide self-reliance and employment. Rural folks are more and more using the power of entrepreneurship to hack socio-economic problems.

In the rural community of Guabuliga, Braveaurora works to among other things provide sustainable livelihoods and stem the flow of rural-urban drifts through entrepreneurship and skills training. Our training center, which is home to an array of training programmes, has provided skills training to over 120 rural entrepreneurs. These people are making bold impacts on their families and society through their businesses.

To expand impact, Braveaurora is committed to make our programmes accessible to more communities before the close of the year. We have therefore in this light started the construction of a new training area. Envisaged to complete soon, the new center will house trainings in beads and jewelry design, shoe making, shea processing, inter alia. Recruitment is already underway for the new cohort of trainees. 

Sustainable farming in Guabuliga

Overuse, monocultures and a high input of chemically-synthesized pesticides start showing its drawbacks globally. The project-team of Braveaurora takes action to fight these difficulties and their negative outcomes, considering the fact that farming is the essential base of cash- and food-income in Guabuliga.

Consequences of erosion and infertile land can not be solved with a higher input of chemicals on a long term base, neither ecologically nor financially. For this cause Braveaurora initiated a close cooperation with Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, a community based organisation focused on ecological farming. They train people in Guabuliga on sustainable and organic gardening. Besides proper crop planting to avoid nutrient-poor soil through monocultures, they produce self-made pesticides based on organic substances. Another focus is on the cross-breeding for more successful harvesting.

Enthusiastic about the trainings, I joined the group and took them through the Austrian method of compost construction. The group collected the material in no time and with the help of a skilled carpenter, previously trained by Braveaurora, the compost was done within two days. 

Standing with the trainees in front of their creation, I asked about the purpose of the exercise. And their answers made me outrageously happy: 

„Organic waste will turn within some months into an organic fertilizer. We put it on the soil of the vegetables and fruits so they grow better. Like this we can give more nutritious foods to our families and we will stay healthy. We will have a good harvest without buying expensive chemicals.“ 

Thanks to the great cooperation with a motivated gardening team and the translations and expert-knowledge of Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, the organic garden will provide self-produced organic and nutritious fertilizer.

This transferred knowledge aims to help making use of compost in larger scale for their own farms, to be independent of expensive chemically-synthesized products. Since I unfortunately need to leave Guabuliga soon, for a longer or hopefully shorter period, the supervision will be conducted by the trainees.