About 240 women in the La-Dadekotopon constituency in Accra, have benefited from the 'Nye Awo Kpapkpa Vocational Skills Training project and empowerment programmes for enhanced livelihood. The three-day capacity building training on Enterprise Creation and Management Skills was organized under the office of Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Member of Parliament for La-Dadekotopon in collaboration with the Vocational Training for Female s (VTF) Programme. The beneficiaries received training in Cosmetology, fashion design, catering and bakery, bead making and detergent formulation as well as essential basic managerial skills to equip them with the needed knowledge and skills to start and manage their own businesses with the acquired skills. The 'Nye Awo Kpakpa' Vocational Skills Training project is an initiative of the Member of Parliament for the La-Dadekotopn constituency to empower the youth, especially women with skills, to reduce the high unemployment rate and poverty levels in the area. She noted that some of the beneficiaries of the training had been able to write the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) examination which gave a further boost to their enterprises. Speaking at the end of the training for the first batch of the 240 beneficiaries, the MP charged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to establish an enterprise or to enhance their businesses to meet the objective of the initiative. She told them that a lot of investments had been made into the programme to ensure that they had a source of livelihood and be able to contribute to the growth of the local economy and national development. The MP cautioned them against the unnecessary spending and buying, mentioning the trend where women purchase cloth for every funeral known locally in the Ga settings as 'aba ko mama' and focus on working with the skills acquired and how to expand it. She said the beginning of everything was difficult, including starting a business, but noted that because the beneficiaries have had a leverage throug h the skills training with a little effort they could make a difference. Mrs Patience Adiekeke Morrison, Gender and Entrepreneurship Development Officer at VTF Programme, who facilitated the training, took them through topics such as Entrepreneurial Mindset and Attitude, Customer Service and Relationship, Business Plan, Branding and Packaging and Records Keeping. She told them to be serious with customer relationship since it was critical to the sustenance and growth of every business, adding 'bad attitude towards customers can kill your business and not any superstition.' Source: Ghana News Agency