Accra OMANIAE Ghana has launched the maiden edition of the African Migrants Cultural Festival, which aims at addressing the effect of irregular migration of African youth.
The three-day event in partnership with Doing Good, an Israeli based-organisation, is on the theme: ”Promoting African Culture and Diversity through Migration.”
The event scheduled for April 13 to April 15 at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra will bring together civil society organisations and migration experts to address the effect of irregular migration on African youth as well as promote the Ghanaian culture and how irregular migration affects Ghanaian tradition and culture.
The third day (April 15) would be devoted to doing good deeds in the society by embarking on clean-up exercise and visiting the aged.
Mr Richard Osei Bonsu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OMANIAE Ghana, speaking at a media launch in Accra said the organisation was aimed at bringing together the youth into the mainstream society with a long term goal of curbing irregular migration as well as providing skills training for economic empowerment.
He said the trends of irregular migration through the desert and sea represented one of the biggest humanitarian tragedies, rendering most Ghanaian youth who were intellects and vision holders to be hopeless and vulnerable within the scope living as illegal migrants for which they constitute a greater work force of the nation.
This he added that OMANIAE Ghana embarks on sensitisation programmes in various communities nationwide to enlighten the youth on the dangers associated with illegal migration.
Mr Bonsu said the organisation also equips the unemployed and vulnerable youth with vocational skills, including pastry making, painting, sewing, hairdressing, gari and palm oil processing, amongst others, within one to three months, to enable them become self-sufficient rather than to seek greener pastures in Europe.
He said currently the organisation was working with five Members of Parliament in Gomoa-East, Mfantsiman, Sefwi-Akotonbra, Ofori Krom and Kintampo North, to empower the youth.
”Soon after they come out of the skills training programme, we are awaiting a special funding which we will set every participant up with $500 equivalent to GH2000 to set up his own shop. We make sure that the basic needs to set up your business you have it,” he said.
He added that a period of month for feasibility study would be given to participants and the participants will pay GH 20 every month based on reports from field volunteers.
Mr Bonsu therefore called on government to tap into OMANIAE Ghana available programmes which can best solve these menaces.
Mr Kaynan Rabino, the CEO of Doing Good Organisation, said his outfit initiated the doing good deeds day, a global day of celebration of doing good and volunteering around the world.
He said Omaniae Ghana was ‘doing good’ by enlightening the youth on illegal migration hence decided to partner the organisation.
He said the youth must be encouraged to contribute their quota to the development of the world by doing good deeds in order to make the world a better place for current and future generations.
Mr Rabino called on Government to support NGO’s such as OMANIAE Ghana to solve the nation’s growing immigrant issues.
Source: Ghana News Agency
