CCREAD Graduates 51 Trainees After Nine Months Free Training

By Nadesh E.

“I come from a humble background. Since I put to birth a few years ago, my family has abandoned me to my husband.  It becomes very disappointing each time my husband brings up a conversation about my family and I can’t say anything. Things were better before the crisis came. Since it’s coming, life has been very difficult for me and my family. It’s either I’m hawking or petty trading to make ends meet.

However, God blessed me when I met the director of CCREAD Cameroon. After talking me into learning a trade at the centre, I finally settled on knowing hairdressing and beauty maintenance. I am proud to have made the wig I am putting on and I know by next year I will be graduating like the others are doing today. I am pleased I decided to learn this trade because, by the time I graduate, I will open my shop and start earning some income to take care of my family.”

This is one of the trainee’s stories at the department of Hairdressing and Beauty Maintenance, in CCREAD Cameroon. She told CNA last Saturday at the centre during the graduation ceremony of the 5th batch of trainees.

Unlike this trainee who wasn’t graduating, 51 others from the departments of ICT and Secretariat Administration; and Hairdressing and Beauty Maintenance were awarded certificates of completion of the course on Saturday, May 29, 2021.

After intense studies and practical training for 9 months, CCREAD-The Centre for Community Regeneration and Development decided to bring together parents, husbands, families, and loved ones of marginalized widows, internally displaced persons, youths, destitute single and teenage mothers to witness to acknowledge the appreciation of their hard work, resilience and achievement.

To show how intense the 09 months training was, Motto Unice, the best graduate from the department of ICT and Secretariat Administration showcased her typing skills by using the keyboard blindfolded while typing phrases read to her hearing. Accurately enough, everything read to her was correctly spelled while the monitor was facing the audience.

Another thrilling performance came from some graduates of the Hairdressing and Beauty Maintenance department who in less than 15 mins transformed the hair and face of 2 ladies with beautiful hairdos and makeup.

As if that was not enough, Elfrida’s “Never Let You Go” song presentation powered by the video editing skills she got from the ICT department was also in confirmation of the seriousness of the training.

The most exciting part of the whole vocational training program is that everything taught at the centre is free.

 And as a sign of pride and acknowledgment of work well done, the CCREAD administration decided to award prizes to exceptional graduates and staff who have put in their best in pushing the institution forward. By so doing, prizes of the best graduating student in both graduating departments, most supportive trainees, most dedicated staff, etc were given to deserving persons.

Gestures like this a staff told CNA to encourage them to work and give in their best.

Some graduates received original Hairdryers, trolleys, a complete set of desktop computers etc while some teachers received a sewing machine, cash prize etc.

When asked if they are confident of the trainees they are sending out to the society, Mme Bama Glory, trainer at the Hairdressing Department said though not all of them have a grasp of everything taught at the centre, she believes the constant practice will fill the gap where they are lacking.

She added that the evaluation exercise before graduation to test trainees helps determine who has reached the graduation level.

Many will ask that after graduation what next? The same question posed to the Director of the none-Governmental Organization. Doctor Ngide Hilary Ewang assured press men|women that CCREAD’s evaluation committee always visits graduates at their places of work to see how they are implementing the skills they acquire at the centre.

About CCREAD-Cameroon

Centre for Community Regeneration and Development (CCREAD-Cameroon) is an active humanitarian organization created in 2004 and registered in 2006. CCREAD-Cameroon’s interventions since creation have been focused on fostering the social and economic empowerment of disadvantaged people and communities merged with the promotion of environmental sustainability.

 With an average of 26 team members running community-driven projects and programs, CCREAD-Cameroon gained United Nations Special Consultative Status in April 2015 and became the first organization from Africa to win the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development. The organization’s head office is in Buea, with three program offices across the South West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon.

Through several integrated, holistic, and cost-effective community-driven projects and programs from 2006 to the present, CCREAD-Cameroon has been piloting interventions such as the following; Intensive vocational training programs providing skills to women and youths with a history of social and economic insecurities.

 CCREAD-Cameroon runs five intensive vocational training centres across the South West and Littoral Regions in line with this activity. Each centre trains a minimum of 560 women and youths annually. Some of the areas of training include tailoring and decoration, Computer studies and secretariat administration, Hairdressing and Beauty Maintenance, Agrofood processing and transformation, Decoration, Bakery, Weaving, and woodwork.

Registration for the next intake of trainees is currently going on at CCREAD’s main office in Buea, Bwetingi. Registration is free and open to women, girls, boys, and youths who wish to acquire any of these life-changing skills.

Application procedure entails just a photocopy of the National Identity Card, Birth Certificate and highest qualification for those who have.