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A new World Bank report titled “Youth Employment Programs in Ghana: Options for Effective Policy Making and Implementation” identifies agribusiness, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship, construction, tourism and sports as key sectors that can offer increased employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth.

It also calls for more investments in career guidance and counselling, work-based learning, coaching, and mentoring to equip young people with the skills needed for work. The report suggests that although these are not new areas, the government could maximize their impact by scaling up these priority areas in existing youth employment interventions and improving outreach to the youth.

Ghana is faced with 12% youth unemployment and more than 50% underemployment, both higher than overall unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan African countries. Despite major investments by both government and private sector, this challenge will intensify if job opportunities remain limited.

To tackle youth unemployment, the report highlights the importance of having disaggregated data on youth job seekers by location, gender, skills, and capabilities to inform policy and funding decisions and respond with appropriate and tailored employment programs.

Heart of Grace`s Dare To Develop is a long-term initiative that focuses on the acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities, and competencies as necessary equipment for the individual to live adapt to the real work situation and contribute to the development of society. It will assist all young people to secure their future by enhancing their transition to a lot of opportunities after the training.

The emphasis is on training people for self–employment to help foster communities through skill development by helping reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country. 

The training will provide a mixed knowledge and career-focused, hands-on and skills-based training that is needed to run the productive sectors of the economy and build the nation. It is particularly meant to provide avenues for skills development for the youth.

The objective is to motivate more than 70% of participants mainly girls to strive and become entrepreneurs after the end of successful training. 

To achieve the objectives of this initiative, there is the need to create an enabling environment for the teaching and learning process in the training centers to ensure good quality teaching and learning environment that is crucial to helping the individuals. 

Functions of the technical and vocational training:

1. To provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agriculture, industrial, commercial, and economic development.
2. To give training and impart the necessary skills leading to the production of craftsmen, technicians, and other skilled personnel who will be enterprising and self-reliant, and to enable young men and women to have an intelligent understanding of the increasing compatibility of technology.

Strategies:

1. Heart of Grace will provide the necessary equipment and machines needed for effective teaching and learning during the period of the training.
2. Heart of Grace will be partnering with stakeholders and Opinion leaders to provide an enabling environment and stimulate the active participation of the young people within the communities.
3. Improve the competence, resourcefulness, and efficiency of trainers and other personnel through training, capacity building, and motivation.
4. There should be an adequate supply of qualified staff to teach in the program.
5. The welfare of trainers will be taken seriously as they adequately prepare for their lessons.
6. There will be proper supervision of the training locations to ensure that the desired goal is achieved and also to promote hard work and discipline.

Project Sustainability

The Dare To Develop is a trainer of trainees initiative which will be supervised by Heart of Grace and other stakeholders. To ensure the sustainability of the initiative, beneficially communities will contribute to the available youth and a successful cohort will help train the next cohort of beneficiaries who will be enrolled in the program. 

Ghana’s healthcare expenditure has increased over the past two decades. Increased healthcare expenditures are required to enhance the acquisition of better hospital resources that may improve healthcare.

The challenges faced by Ghana’s healthcare system include poor hygiene and sanitation, inadequate financial health investments, or limited workforce and facilities. Establishing health institutions and insurance schemes, increasing the workforce, improving hygiene and treatment conditions can ameliorate the challenges faced. Implementation of policies in maternal health, child, adolescent, and other healthcare reforms can provide better health outcomes.

Ghana is critical for national development. Women and children’s health issues in the country are largely centered on nutrition and reproductive health. Reproduction is the source of many health problems for women in Ghana.

The Ghana Living Standards Survey Report of the Fifth Round revealed that about 96.4% of women reported that they, or their partners, were using modern forms of contraception

The “Life is Wealth” is a health initiative which seeks to help improve the health status of all people most importantly women and children living in Ghana thereby contributing to the government’s vision of transforming Ghana into a middle-income country.’Under this initiative, Heart of Grace Foundation will be working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3; “Ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”

Activities under this initiative include; Health Education, Procure of Mobile Ambulance for deprived communities, Registering of Health Insurance Cards, Donation of Health equipment, renovations of health facilities, etc.

Objectives

• Bridge equity gaps in access to health care and nutrition services, and ensure sustainably financing arrangements that protect the poor.
• Improve access to quality maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health services.
• Intensify prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases and promote healthy lifestyles.