By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
The Life by Design Useful Hands Vocational Institute on Saturday 3rd December 2022 organized its 23rd graduation ceremony for One Hundred and two students (102) from various departments at the National Pentecostal Church Cassel Farm Kissy in Freetown with its theme ‘TVet a tool for Human Capital Development’.
Mr. Moses Karankay who served as the chairman for the ceremony congratulated graduands for their effort and sacrifice in completing their journey; he also thanked the Academic staff for their patience in installing knowledge of crafts on the minds of these youthful graduands.
He said the theme for this year graduation ceremony is “T-VET a Means for Human Capital Development”, and added that vocation is a job that becomes a way of living contributing to human development.
He continued that the event is not only meant for celebrating the graduates for their hard work but described it as an award for merit as they have worked hard for it and made sacrifices for it.
Mr Karankay said being an excellent student is by transforming one’s self and giving back to society and as such he encouraged graduates to make use of this opportunity and give back to society contributing to national development.
Chairman of the of board of governors for the Life by Design Useful Hands Training Center Bishop Benjamin Bangura congratulated grandaunts and reiterated the theme of the event, with it he said is a way of advancing the economy of the nation which is a training for self-reliance.
He thanked partners for being part of a historical event contributing to the lives of over 3,000 and more students.
Mr Bangura went on to state that as an institution they will continue to maintain its standard and congratulated these graduates.
Mr Bangura maintained that grants received from the skill development fund, a fund he said that was provided by the government through the United Nations under the auspices of the Life by Design Useful Hands were fortunate to win through it.
He thanked the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and its partners for securing grants for the sustenance of skill acquisition for youths.
Mr Alhaji Aaron Kamara Acting Principal at Useful Hands Training center said the institution was established in 1999 and started from a church activity and has been catering for not only youths of the church but Adults as well and served its purpose to the public.
He went on to state that the instigate over the years trained over 3,000 students in different courses in Hair dressing, Tailoring, Hospitality Management, Gara Tye Dye Designs and more.
The guest speaker and CEO of Life by Design Mr Joe Abass Bangura in his address to these grandaunts said when people fail to advance in life they blame the resources.
He distinguished that there are two kinds of resources in life namely he said the internal resources and external resources.
The internal resources he said are the talent and efforts of one’s self in attracting the external resources which he described as partners of sponsors who help or contribute towards one’s self.
Furthermore, he said with the right attitude and mindset the internal resources attracts the external and the reason why we fail is because we do not have the internal resources.
Giving a brief biography about himself he said both parents of his are not educated but they gave birth to giants.
“Giants who have helped and changed the life of thousands of youths across the country”, he stated.
He encouraged these grandaunts to be resourceful and contribute to national development.
He thanked the grandaunts, teachers and partners and the government for their contributions in changing lives.
Madam Mabinty Koroma a student said she’s grateful for the institution as she said she had previously acquired skills from the said institution and came back for more in order to help women as herself become independent and resourceful to themselves and society.
She went on with a proverb which states that a fool at forty is a fool forever but for her she said life begins at forty and as such her journey has just begun as she’s grateful for her skills acquisition and looks forward in implementing them and giving back to society.
Mr Salieu Barrie from skills development fund secretariat that is under the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education said the skills development fund (SDF) is a fund that provides resources to Technical institutions and businesses that will help train young Sierra Leoneans acquire demand led skills that they will use to acquire formal employment or being self-employed.
He continued that the Life by Design Useful Hands Tec-Voc has been industrious towards the national development as he said being a benefactor of the said grant they are happy with the success story of the Life by Design Useful hands training Center in inspiring young minds and being productively engaged in society.
