By Ese Obote-Ogwu
ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Commissioner for Youth Development, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga, has described the graduates of Rural Youth Skill Acquisition programme (RYSA), as beneficiaries with clear cut vision, focused, who have stayed disciplined to master their skills.
The Commissioner gave this commendation at the Graduation/Distribution of Business Start Up packs to beneficiaries of the 2nd cycle of RYSA.
He stated: “The RYSA journey which started in 2020, graduated a total of 776 pioneer beneficiaries. It is worthy to note that over 86 percent of these beneficiaries are very active in business, gaining traction in their communities and becoming trainers with various empowerment programmes like WESAP.”
Comrade Egwunyenga said that the Community Business School (CBS), an implant into RYSA programme and designed to imbibe in the trainees vital business and life skills, saying that it was geared towards developing their entrepreneurial drive, leadership capacity and the essence of community service.
According to Egwunyenga, it was also aimed at enabling the graduates to identify and take advantage of opportunities in digital marketing and business networking to support their business start-ups.
The commissioner, who lauded the beneficiaries, noted that in the course of their community business school, identified community needs in their various local governments, and took collective actions to proffer solutions to needs.
He stated the needs ranged from drilling of borehole in the market, enrolment of indigent community youths into free skill training, donation of educational materials, painting of school fences and maintaining facilities at their local government secretariats.
Other initiatives, he further noted, were sensitization against social vices and the need to embrace skills acquisition across schools and communities sanitation, amongst others.
The commissioner, who expressed satisfaction with the performance of the graduates. Said: “I am pleased at your organic display of your level of competence. Your display of good character and commitment is worthy of recommendation, you all imbibed the spirit of volunteering and also gave back to the society.”
He also commended the trainers and facilitators for giving their best to ensure that RYSA ambassadors were birthed.
In their presentation, Jude Eboka from Aniocha North, an electrician of the 1st cycle of RYSA graduates, expressed gratitude on behalf of all the 2020 beneficiaries to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for giving them the platform to thrive.
He also informed the governor of the loans the ministry had assisted them to access, their cooperative and the supervision they had received from the Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring (DYMM).
The highpoints of the event were the presentation of souvenirs to the governor by the beneficiaries of 2020 and the presentation of the startup pack to the beneficiaries by Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.
