92 PASS OUT AT BETHEL INSTITUTE (NSEMPA, PAGE 3)

By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE Principal of the Bethel Vocational Training Institute in Sunyani, Reverend Munufie Ameyaw-Frimpong, has suggested institution of stiffer punishment for parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children, especially the girl-child.
He said the enactment of such laws would help curb the high incidence of irresponsible parenting.
He added that the rise in moral degeneration and other social vices among the youth was as a result of the neglect of children by their fathers.
Rev. Ameyaw-Frimpong made the suggestion at the 3rd graduation ceremony of 92 students of the Institute in Sunyani.
The graduation ceremony coincided with the presentation of sewing machines and an unspecified amount of money to the ‘graduands’ who were trained in dressmaking, hairdressing and cookery free of charge by the institute.
The Founder of the Bethel Prayer Ministry International (BPMI) was the late Bishop Owusu Tabiri who also established the institute.
The institute has the objective of contributing to building the manpower base of the nation through the acquisition of employment skills.
It is targeted at the poor, orphans and street girls who roam the streets of villages, towns and cities without any hope for a better future.
Rev. Ameyaw-Frimpong said the 92 ‘graduating students’ who represented three batches from 2006 to 2008 wrote the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) examinations, and about 90 per cent of them passed in all the subjects.
The principal appealed to Nananom, politicians, business people and other well- meaning Ghanaians to go to the aid of the institute in cash and in kind to save the it from collapse.
Apostle Samuel Gyamfi, Chairman of the BPMI, for his part, reiterated that the institute was established to train, facilitate, encourage and harness the development of the creative talents of the less-fortunate young girls.
He stated that apart from the students enjoying free tuition, the church, through its own resources and the benevolence of other philanthropist, had provided school uniforms, sewing machines and cash donations to the students.
Apostle Gyamfi disclosed that some of the old students had established their own small-scale businesses and the feedback indicated that they were doing well.
He expressed the church’s appreciation to all who, in one way or the other, had contributed both in cash and in kind towards the sustenance of the institute.
“My special thanks go to Madam Patricia Appieagyei, the Mayor of Kumasi, for donating 25 brand new sewing machines to the school recently”, he said.
Apostle Gyamfi also appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GET Fund) to assist the school to complete its infrastructure and also donate a pickup vehicle for the school.