The Role of Opportunity Skills Training Centre in Reducing Poverty among Physically Challenged Persons in Kenema City

Joe Diawo, Michael Jusu, Dauda Kpakra
2022 Zenodo  
This research is an assessment on the Role of Opportunity Skills Training Centre in Reducing Poverty among Physically Challenged Persons in Kenema City. The research takes a keener look at the topic in order to bridge the information gap on the topic in the existing literature. The specific objectives of the research were to: a) Identify the causes of poverty among physically challenged persons in Kenema City. b) Analyse the training opportunities provided by the Opportunity Skills Training
more » ... re in Kenema City especially for physically challenged persons. c) Identify the categories of physically challenged persons trained at the centre. d) Analyse the enrollment of the centre (young/old/male/female). e) Outline the challenges faced by the centre and f) Enumerate the impact of the training on the trainees. A questionnaire was administered and interviews conducted to gather the data used to arrive at the findings of the investigation. The findings reveal that: a) The causes of poverty among physically challenged persons in Kenema City have been the lack of education, lack of employment, limited access to healthcare and the lack of appropriate equipment to learn certain skills. b) The training opportunities provided by the Opportunity Skills Training Centre include tailoring/embroidery, metal work/blacksmithing, electrical and electronic engineering and hair dressing. c) The categories of physically challenged persons trained at the centre included polio survivors, the blind, amputees, the deaf and dumb. In addition, there were also able bodied persons enrolled with the centre for training. d) The enrollment of trainees at the centre was 108 of 66 males and 42 females. e) The challenges faced by the centre were low level of education of trainees, lack of employment, limited access to healthcare facilities by disabled persons, lack of scholarships for tutors to upgrade themselves, limited funds to manage/operate the centre and inadequacy of appropriate equipment to teach/learn certain skills. f) The impact of the s [...]
doi:10.5281/zenodo.6528954 fatcat:25ykacljfbaa5d74vidbqqxwhm