By:Felix A.Baidoo

Nana Afua Serwaa Adusei, a Lead for Shecanic Academy, has urged parents to equip their children with survival skills to help them move on in life without much difficulty.
She pointed out that skills such as cooking, swimming, a second language, driving, and fixing car tyres, among other skills, were crucial for the development of every individual youth, irrespective of gender.

Dennis Gawuga, Communications Manager , CFAO (left) explaining something to the participants during the workshop

Nana Afua Serwaa Adusei was speaking at a one-day workshop organised for fathers to teach their children how to jumpstart a battery and how to change car tyres in Accra as part of activities marking this year’s Father’s Day.
The workshop, which was the 2nd second edition of the beginner’s auto workshop, was dubbed “Daddy Taught me”

Shecanic Academy is a community of women professionals in diverse professions, students and apprentices in male-dominated fields such as barbers, security personnel, mechanics, engineers, pilots, painters and welders among others.

Nana Afua Serwaa Adusei, of Shecanic Academy

Focus
Among the issues being promoted by Shecanic Academy are supporting the youth to venture into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Technical and Vocational Education and (TVET) ventures to make them economically empowered wherever they may find themselves in the world or work after school or training.

Some scenes from the ceremony

The Lead indicated that apart from the education and training at school and other training institutions, survival skills were very critical in the proper upbringing of every youth so they could have a meaningful life when they wean off from their parents.
She recounted how car knowledge used to be for a privileged or selected few but has now become a survival skill.

Shecanic used the occasion to praise all fathers for not just raising their children but also going the extra mile to equip them with special skills that make them stand tall among their peers wherever they find themselves.

Again, she recounted how people have become vulnerable because they did not know certain basics like how to jumpstart batteries, how to check oils or even how to change their vehicle tyres on the highway, exposing them to different kinds of dangers.
Mr Kwabena Busia of Klick Auto Engineering Ltd reminded parents to take a keen interest in the proper upbringing and training of their children.
He appealed to vehicle users to desist from using water and rather use coolant as a way of protecting their vehicles.

Commendation
He commended Shecanic Academy for the programme, which would go a long way to enhance the productivity and safety of many people, especially those who drive and their families.

Mr Jude Attrams – Sales supervisor of tyres at CFAO) educated parents about the proper selection as well as the configurations of tyres.
He appealed to various institutions to make it a point of helping in the promotion of such training to their staff and the public to improve the safety and lives of people.
Supporting Partners

On hand were Engineers and other professionals from Klick Auto Engineering Ltd, CFAO and other institutions who took the 80 participants through various skills acquisition training sessions interspersed with practicals to test their understanding of what they had studied.

The other partners are Electroland Ghana Limited, which gave NASCO appliances to some participants, First Bank Ghana opened an account for all the children, Verna water made sure participants were hydrated, Star oil provided fuel vouchers for all participants, while CFAO also provided mobility support to the participants.

Apart from the training, the event was also used as a socialising or bonding avenue for children, their fathers and mothers, as well as other families.
It should be noted that many of the skills people acquire from their parents remain with them and are always used to promote the development of their lives.

Background

Shecanic Academy is a growing community of about 15 women and has the objective of having a community of women for emotional support and encouragement, positive representation for students who may be in doubt about their career choice in male-dominated fields and also to advocate for them.