The story of Simon Beyuoh illustrates how a identified younger guy from the most deprived region of Ghana was assisted to grow to be a self-utilized engineering workshop owner by means of the Intermediate Engineering Transfer Device (ITTU) programme proven by the Engineering Consultancy Centre (TCC) of the Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Technological know-how (KNUST), Kumasi.
Simon Beyuoh arrived from Nandom, a smaller city in the extraordinary north-western corner of Ghana in Upper West Location, near to the border with Burkina Faso. His people today, the Dagatis, experienced been transformed to Catholicism by French missionaries from Burkina Faso (then Haute Volta) after years of dominance by the Moslem Walas with their base in Wa, the capital of Higher West Area. In his mid teenagers Simon followed a sister and a cousin down the extensive road to Kumasi, to request his fortune in Ghana’s second metropolis and the dwelling of the golden stool of Ashanti.
Simon’s cousin, Kate, was employed as the retail store keeper at the very first ITTU at Suame Magazine, so he used for an apprenticeship in the steel machining portion. At that time it was unconventional for the ITTU to accept uncooked rookies, preferring to recruit apprentices who experienced gained some simple expertise in an informal sector workshop. Even so, Simon amazed the assortment board with his tall good-skinned existence and humble earnestness and began coaching in 1981. He before long confirmed that he experienced natural aptitude and a capacity for challenging do the job.
By 1984, the next ITTU was coming into procedure at Tamale in the Northern Area under the skilled steering of Frank Robertson, the Afro-American engineer assigned as USAID Adviser to the challenge. Frank wanted skilled workers and questioned for transfers from Kumasi. While Simon nonetheless experienced two years of his apprenticeship to comprehensive, he used to transfer to Tamale to be nearer to his residence city. The transfer was granted and Simon turned one of Frank’s most trustworthy assistants. Simon benefitted enormously from Frank’s assistance and often spoke warmly of the alternatives that it opened for him.
In Tamale Frank Robertson had launched a vast variety of actions transferred from the TCC in Kumasi. As the condition in Tamale was considerably additional rural than that in Kumasi, significantly emphasis was put on agriculture and rural crafts. In particular, beekeeping was proving to be a preferred pastime with fantastic honey yields. A handful of beehives obtained from the ITTU could offer a steady 12 months-spherical income. Simon decided to acquire up beekeeping as a spare-time action to nutritional supplement his modest income from the ITTU.
After finishing his apprenticeship, Simon was used as a technician in the Tamale ITTU. In that placement he labored steadily and reliably for a number of a long time. From June 1987, the ITTU was taken over by the Free of charge Task of the Ministry of Market, Science and Technologies (MIST). Free of charge continued the programme initiated by the TCC in Kumasi to persuade young individuals qualified in the ITTUs to check out to set up their possess non-public workshops. Simon used to sign up for the plan and requested that a complement of equipment applications should really be reserved for him from the first consignment to be imported for Tamale.
In 1990 Gratis aided the TRAX Task to open up a little workshop at Bolgatanga, cash of Higher East Area. This was in planning for an ITTU to be proven afterwards. Sensing one more phase nearer residence, Simon once more applied for a transfer and turned technician-in-charge in Bolgatanga. This was valuable practical experience in preparing for managing his own workshop.
Funding for the Tamale ITTU less than the Free of charge Project was provided by the Canadian Intercontinental Progress Company (CIDA). When in because of system machine equipment arrived for sale to private workshops, some principles were devised for furnishing the necessary credit rating finance. Underneath these regulations the purchaser was obliged to make an expenditure equal to 25 per cent of the benefit of the finish workshop immediately after the new devices have been put in. Simon Beyuoh was involved in the checklist of likely purchasers but supervisors and CIDA Advisers doubted no matter if he would be able to increase the expected amount of money of 250,000 cedis (approx US$1,500).
Interviews were being held in Tamale for the allocation of device equipment. Some of the candidates by now owned a workshop construction of which the price was involved as component of their preliminary financial investment. Simon, on the other hand, necessary to find the whole of his financial investment in money. When requested how he was going to discover the vital quantity he replied that he had adequate income saved in the bank from the proceeds of his beekeeping. Above the years he had built up his apiary to a lot more than forty hives.
Simon resolved that his house city, Nandom, was far too smaller to assistance his workshop so he founded his lasting small business in Bolgatanga exactly where it is continue to flourishing. Quite a few youthful males, and a couple of young females, have benefitted from Ghana’s ITTUs in this way, but Simon Beyuoh is special in getting persevered to get his engineering expertise to the poorest locations of the far north where by they would be of most services to his own and kindred communities.