A powerful delegation from the Canadian High Commission has paid a courtesy call on Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) on Tuesday 10th September, 2019 to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the University for being instrumental in the rescue of the two Canadian girls who were kidnapped in the Ashanti Region about three months ago. The delegation consisted of Bryan Cox who is the Executive Director of Youth Challenge International, Susan D. Handrigan the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada World Youth and Gifty Kuug Volimkarime, the Country Manager for EQUIP HUBS project. The delegation was received by the Vice Chancellor and other Key Officers of the University.
The appreciation is in connection with the rescue mission embarked on by the University and other stakeholders. It will be recalled that, on 4th June 2019, two Canadian girls aged 19 and 20 were kidnapped in Kumasi while working as volunteers for Youth Challenge International, a Toronto based International Development Organisation and the EQWIP HUBS Project which has one of its offices on the campus of Kumasi Technical University. The two were seized on Tuesday evening outside their apartment in the Ahodwo vicinity. However, as a result of the high professionalism and relentless effort exhibited by the Ghanaian Police, the National Security and other Security Agencies all in collaboration with Kumasi Technical University, the ladies were rescued on 12th June, 2019 unharmed.
The delegation from the Canadian High Commission came to perform two key functions. Firstly, to thank Kumasi Technical University for the role they played in the rescue mission and also expressed their sincere gratitude to the Institution for hosting them on their campus to carry out successfully the EQWIP HUB project. The EQUIP HUB project is aimed at equipping the youth with entrepreneurial and business incubation skills after which they are given startups to do their own businesses. Through the benevolence of the Canadian government, the project has equipped about five hundred and seventeen (517) youth with the needed entrepreneurial skills out of which about thirty six (36) of them have been funded to set up their own businesses.
Giving his closing remarks, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of KsTU, Nana Ing. Prof. Osei-Wusu Achaw made an appeal to the Commission to continue with the programme because of its immeasurable benefits to the youth in Ghana. The delegate made it clear that the Canadian government rather intends to set up a more advanced Business Incubation Centre to improve on what already exists. This was gladly received by the University as it ties in with the Institution’s core mandate. It should be mentioned that already, various institutional centres and faculties like the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (FEED), the Institute of Research and Innovation Development (IRID) and the Business Development Unit have started programmes to that effect.
The Institution was appreciative of the Commission’s show of gratitude and the promise to strengthen the relationship between the Canadian government and the University. Also present at the meeting were the newly appointed Registrar, Mr. Ebenezer Kofi Boakye and Dr. Solomon Kwarteng Forkuoh, the Head of the Entrepreneurship and Finance Department.
Picture: (from left) Susan D. Handrigan, Nana Ing. Prof Osei-Wusu Achaw, Bryan Cox, Gifty Kuug Volimkarime, Dr. Solomon Kwarteng Forkuoh and Mr. Ebenezer Kofi Boakye.
