The Life Ministries empowers three youth in Pungu with sewing machines, training in hairdressing
The initiative seeks to address poverty by equipping beneficiaries with employable skills.
The Life Ministries has rolled out a skills empowerment programme aimed at supporting vulnerable and less privileged members of the Catholic Church, beginning with the St. Ann Catholic Church in Pungu in Navrongo.
The initiative, spearheaded by Dr Mark Awetachega and his wife, who are currently based in China, seeks to address poverty by equipping beneficiaries with employable skills.
According to Timothy Awewonnu Awetachega, a representative of the ministry, the project was born out of a strong desire to respond to the growing needs of the poor within church communities.
“Our goal is to mobilise resources to help the needy in the church, and this first phase is focused on Pungu Catholic Church,” he said.
As part of the initial intervention, The Life Ministries planned to support four individuals with sewing machines. However, following consultations with the church, only three candidates met the required criteria. The ministry therefore donated three sewing machines to the selected beneficiaries.
A fourth beneficiary, who opted for hairdressing instead of sewing, will have her training fully sponsored by the ministry.
One of the beneficiaries, Averu Vida Webapora, a member of the Pungu Catholic Church from Pungu Nibasinia, expressed deep gratitude for the support. She explained that financial difficulties forced her to abandon plans to further her education after completing senior high school in 2022.
“After SHS, there was no money for me to continue school, so I joined a fashion and design unit. I didn’t even have money to pay, and I didn’t own a sewing machine,” she said.
She added that she believes the support was not based on connections but on divine favour, and prayed for blessings upon the founder and his family.
Beyond material support, The Life Ministries is also encouraging beneficiaries to adopt a culture of giving back. The ministry hopes that as beneficiaries become self-reliant, they will, in turn, support others in their communities.
“We want this support to become a chain,” Timothy Awewonnu Awetachega added.
The ministry says the Pungu intervention marks the beginning of a broader outreach, with plans to extend similar empowerment programmes to other communities as resources permit.
Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | Alexander Kubabom
