Urban Initiatives Liberia Vocational Training Program has graduated another batch of students totaling over four thousand two hundred (4200) graduates since the establishment of the Institution.
The last batch of graduates which was held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, in Paynesville City had one hundred and seventy-four (174) students.
The Institution was given birth o on August 20, 2010, by Montserrado County Electoral District 4 Representative, Rustonly Suacoco Dennis, as a means of building the capacity of young people who don’t have the means of furthering their education at the university level.
Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis was a senior student in the Geology department at the University of Liberia and a mentor in the CAP program that was training women in different parts of Montserrado County. She borrowed the idea by organizing a similar program wherein it was mostly focused on adolescent girls, where they were taught how to take care of their homes, and themselves and were later trained how to bake and cuzzay (dollet platting).
Based on the growing number of youths’ inability to continue their education at the university or College level and the issue of unemployment, in 2014, Representative Dennis by then an ordinary Liberian decided that the Institution operate a full-fledged vocational training program to incorporate all youths and the elderly so as to make them self-employed.
Upon her declaration, the Institution has since been offering several vocational courses which include: Plumbing, Construction, Driving, Event Decoration, Cosmetology, Tailoring, and Catering amongst others.
The Institution under the able leadership of the Youthful female Montserrado County Lawmaker has taken several initiatives ranging from health and safety program training and distribution of sanitary pads to women in communities and female students in high schools, creating awareness during the heat of the COVID-19 in Liberia, and distributions of nose marks and detergents to several schools, most of whom were government schools.
The Institution according to history has partnered with OA youth Liberia in providing training to young people in understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at the same time serving as a strategic member of the Global of Peace celebration in Liberia for two years.
The Administer of the Institution, Michael Francis said their intention is to partner with the following organizations: Ministry of Youth and sports, Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), Liberia National Students Union (LINSU), Minor River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP), Youth Opportunity Project (YOP) and UN WOMEN amongst other.
Serving as keynote speaker at the recent graduation program held in Paynesville, Liberia National Students Union President (LINSU), Mohammed Gandhi Kamara said there are a lot of successful people in the world who are college dropouts or have never been to College, and called on the graduates to continue their education.
“I want to inform you today that most of the successful people in the world attended vocational schools or college dropouts. Secondly, please continue your education to the next level. You can make a brand in society based on the way you use your skills, he said. Again, don’t overlook what you have learned, but your skills should be wisely used at all times, Mr. Kamara added”.
Mr. Kamara narrated that they should not overlook their current status in society; something according to him will change in a sooner possible time if they can use their skills wisely.
” I will work with the Institution to get the names of the valedictorians for the various departments to make recommendations for them to work at some institution based on their respective areas of studies. I am very much impressed with the students from the plumbing department. I know what it takes to be a plumber. In some countries, people with vocational skills make a lot of monies; something I want for every one of you to demonstrate well, LINUS President concluded”.
Reported by: Sylvester Tamba
Phone number: +231776687195
Whatsapp number: +231776687195
Email: stamba498@gmail.com
