Savana Signatures has supported the Management of Tamale Senior High School in their efforts at mainstreaming vocational and technical education in the school to give students employable skills for future endeavours.

As an organisation that believes in TVET, which has the potential to improve employability, productivity and livelihoods, we on February 2, 2024, donated a range of essential tools to the school to boost its plan to give practical meaning to all technical and vocational programmes.

The tools included head pans, hammers, planes, screwdrivers, pliers, saws, metal brushes, and clamp. The donation followed a request from the school to Savana Signatures to support its plans in developing and prioritising technical and vocational training of students.

Presenting the tools, Raphael Adomey, Savana Signatures’ Programme Manager in charge of Education, emphasised the role these tools would play in providing students with hands-on experience and practical skills. He highlighted how these skills will not only enrich their educational journey but also significantly contribute to their future success in the workforce.

The Headmaster of Tamale Senior High School, Mr. Mustapha, expressed gratitude for Savana Signatures for the generous donation, and underscored the timeliness of this gesture, particularly as the school administration works to develop vocational-related programmes.

Mr. Mustapha emphasised the importance of embracing and prioritising TVET in addressing the country’s unemployment challenges. He urged students to seize the opportunity to develop technical and vocational skills, noting that these skills are invaluable for securing employment and ensuring sustainable livelihoods in the future.

“The ability of government to employing the teeming students coming out of school is almost becoming impossible. So, we want to train you to be able to take care of yourself when you come out of school. When you are put in a technical class, the visual arts class, the home economics class, embrace it and one day, you will take care of your families,” he advised.

The headmaster also highlighted the potential for students pursuing technical and vocational education to generate income, even during vacations. He encouraged them to leverage their skills to create marketable products, such as benches and kitchen stools, for sale within their communities during their vacations.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mustapha has appealed to Savana Signatures to extend its nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) projects to the school. He underscored the importance of educating students, especially girls, on proper nutrition and SRHR to address health challenges like anaemia, which can have severe consequences.

He stressed on the significance of nutritious food for maintaining good health, stating, “They need to take nutritious food to live healthy…Eating good food is medicine.”