The I-SMILE Fashion and Design Center, a community help programme at Awutu Bawjiase, has held its 3rd graduation ceremony with a call on graduating trainees to make good use of the knowledge and skills acquired to earn a living.
The sixteen graduates some of whom come from areas beyond Awutu-Senya Constituency successfully underwent a three-year training on fashion and dress making at the Center which was formally called ISFIL.
Each of them received a certificate and testimonial from the center and electric sewing machine and accessories donated by Madam Hanna Serwah Tetteh, former Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, currently UN Special Representative to African Union.
Madam Tetteh, who made call while addressing the ceremony, commended the I-SMILE Fashion Design Center for training the youth to learn a vocation free of charge for them to be self-sufficient.
She urged the community members to own the Center and ensure that it continues to play a useful role in the development of the society.
As part of the ceremony, the graduates joined Madam Serwaa Tetteh to cut a cake to officially launch I-SMILE, the new name for the Center and also introduced continuing learners, numbering 60 at the center, to the gathering.
Mr Ismalila Abdulai Andoh, Chief Executive Officer of the Center, said the vision to establish a vocational center was to equip the poor but needy youth with professional skills to better their lot.
The fashion center begun in September 2013 with only six people and currently has a population of 60.
It has challenges which include inadequate sewing machines for effective training of the students and inadequate space to enroll more youth and Mr Andoh appealed to land owners in the area to release land to expand the project to enroll more people.