Accra, The Blue Oasis Community Centre for Refugees (BOCCR), a centre for urban refugees will from next month start running Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes for refugees in the country.
The move is to equip refugees with skills in carpentry, catering, tailoring, mechanical, electricals/electronics and auto engineering systems to enhance their livelihood.
Madam Joyce Larko Steiner, the Director of Programmes and Advocacy at the Christian Council of Ghana announced this at a day’s event to commemorate this year’s World Refugees Day (WRD).
The WRD is a day set aside to acknowledge and celebrate the resilience of refugees and asylum seekers the world over.
BOCCR is a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) funded project being implemented by the Christian Council of Ghana.
Madam Steiner said the initiative was in line with Sustainable Development Goal four focused on education-which emphasises the importance of skills development.
She noted that already the centre had begun organising English Language and Information Communication Technology training for urban refugees.
Mr Tetteh Padi, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board in a statement delivered on his behalf said Ghana had been the home to over 35 different countries.
He assured that the Government would continue to guarantee the safety of refugees.
“It is for the above reasons that GB and partners in refugee management, ensure that refugees have access to education, health and other social services. This safeguards the development of refugees to the benefit of all of society,” he said.
Mr Padi stated that as of 2022, over 1,800 lvorians had taken advantage of assisted return, explaining that it was an indication that Ivory Coast was safe.
The event was used to launch the 30th Anniversary of Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholarship programme that offers qualified refugee and returnee students the possibility to earn an undergraduate degree in their country of asylum or home country.
Through the dedicated support of the government of Germany, the support of Denmark and the Czech Republic, UNHCR and other private donors, the programme has supported over 18,500 young refugees to undertake tertiary studies since 1992.
Source: Ghana News Agency
