Gender Minister raps adolescent girls

Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Julia Duncan Cassell have called on young Liberian adolescent girls and young women to hold themselves to the highest standards and cultivate a new culture of professionalism.

Minister Duncan Cassell speaking in Gorblee,GrandBassa County on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at the EPAG Round -4 graduation urged the over 60 young women to use the skills acquired to serve themselves and Liberia very well.

Minister Cassell urged them to seize every opportunity to learn and use the EPAG experience as a stepping stone to realize their dreams. The 60 young women were trained with skills in business ranging from record keeping, customer service and life skills.

“Have a good attitude; show patience and fortitude; be proactive; work hard; communicate with your employer; and ask questions,” the Gender Minister admonished the graduates. Minister Duncan Cassell wants the adolescent young women to make the most of the skills they have learned in school.

“We have every confidence that you will excel in whatever you set out to do. The foundation has been laid. You must now build upon it”, Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister stated admits he applause.

Minster Cassel used the occasion to lift praises on Edu Care, the local NGO that is serving as the service provider and implementing the EPAG project on behalf of the Gender Ministry. She expressed the Liberian government deepest thanks and appreciation to development partners especially partners that made the EPAG project successful naming the Swedish Government through the Swedish international Development Agency (SIDA) and the World Bank who administered the project.

EPAG is Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Project. The EPAG Project was launched by then Ministry of Gender and Development in 2009 with the goal of increasing the employment and income of 2,500 young Liberian women by providing livelihoods, life skills training and facilitating their transition to productive work.

The graduation exercises kicked off in Grand Bassa on the 25th and are running through the 28th October, 2016 at the following venues across the county: Compound 2, Compound 3/Gorblee, Bacconnie, Korkowein and Gorzohn.