Over the years we have learned that street youths thrive when given hands-on, practical job skills leading to employment. At Future of Africa our commitment is to equip all street youth with a skills, enabling them to achieve self sufficiency, economic security, and to realize their potential.
Future of Africa (FOA) provides personalized services to over 200 children and youth living on the streets of Accra. Through our weekly street outreach and Wellness Wednesday programs, we've found that two out of every three youths express a desire to return to school. Most of them have had some formal education but dropped out for various reasons. Even though public schooling is free, families must still cover the costs of uniforms, books, and extra tuition. For families living in extreme poverty, these costs, along with meeting basic needs, are overwhelming.
Many children and youth end up on the streets because their families cannot provide for them, and they often face severe abuse at home and in school. Once they get used to the unstructured life, false sense of freedom, and addictions the streets offer, it becomes difficult for them to thrive in a traditional school setting. However, hands-on skills training has proven to be a practical alternative, offering street youth a chance to reshape their lives toward self-sufficiency and economic stability.
Since FOA shifted its focus to hands-on training in 2020, we've seen the powerful impact it can have. Former street youth are excelling in fields like hairstyling, fashion design, and leatherwork. FOA strengthens this training by providing basic literacy and numeracy skills, ensuring they are fully equipped to succeed. What makes FOA's approach unique is our partnership with successful local businesses. These collaborations provide former street youth not only with technical skills but also with a real-world understanding of business and entrepreneurship. This holistic approach is transforming lives, helping youth build a brighter, more secure future.
In the past year, FOA has rescued ten young girls and boys from the streets of Accra. Since then, their journey has been one of healing and personal growth. Today, each of them is enrolled in vocational training, taking steps toward productive careers that will open the door to a brighter future.
Susan, Janet, and Priscilla step into the world of dress making
Susan, Janet, and Priscilla are learning dressmaking at Lovely Mode Couture, a fashion boutique that equips young girls with sewing skills. While Susan had a bit of sewing experience, it's been a steep learning curve for Janet and Priscilla, who are starting from scratch. In just four months, these girls, who once spent their days hawking on the streets, are now spending their time discovering their creativity—learning to make simple skirts and dresses. After mastering how to cut fabric to the right patterns and sew basic stitches, they’re now creating their own styles, not just for themselves, but for their friends, too.
They’re excited about the future, especially as they work toward making more sophisticated outfits. At first, they were nervous about how their trainers and classmates would treat them, knowing the stigma attached to street kids, but to their relief, they’ve been welcomed with respect. Their classmates are always eager to lend a hand when needed. Our girls are thrilled to be gaining a skill and have made new friends along the way.
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I have lived on the street before and so I know the struggles these children go through. Since I was fortunate to learn a skill and escape poverty, I believe it is important to support other young girls gain a skill in sewing so they can have a better future.
Innocent discovers his passion in metal and woodwork
Innocent was one of the first kids FOA took off the streets in 2019, but he ended up running away and living on the streets for another four years. Having spent his formative years alone and fending for himself, it was hard for him to adjust to the structured routine of school and life at the FOA Community Center. He ran away multiple times, but each time we gave him another chance to join our Norviwo Transformation Pathways Program. For a long time, Innocent felt lost. He wanted to do something meaningful with his life but didn’t know what that was.
This year, everything changed when we launched our fabrication workshop. During Wellness Wednesday, when street children come to our center for a break from street life, Innocent saw the products we were making, and he was intrigued. He asked to learn, and within a month, he fully committed to rejoining FOA, excited to learn skills he never imagined he’d enjoy. Now, Innocent is building picnic benches, chairs, tables, and even office furniture. He’s taken on more responsibility, managing material purchases for custom orders. His focus and determination have grown, and this role has given him a sense of purpose he’s never felt before. Innocent is determined to reach his full potential.
Gearing Up for Success: Shadrack, Ishmael, and Samuel are training in auto mechanics.
Shadrack, Ishmael, and Samuel are learning to repair cars at Danestrol Auto Center, gaining hands-on experience with modern tools and digital equipment. At first, they struggled with the theory lessons, eager to jump under the hood. But as they began changing brake pads, fixing headlights, replacing air filters, and aligning wheels, they quickly saw the value of understanding car parts.
For Shadrack and Samuel, this is their first time working on cars, and their confidence grows with each new skill. Ishmael started learning car repairs while living on the streets but faced setbacks when he couldn’t afford food or transportation, forcing him to beg in traffic. Now, he’s finally able to pursue his dream of getting broken-down cars back on the road, and the pride on his face after each repair is unmistakable.
All three boys are building skills that will shape their futures, while their trainers also teach life skills to help them develop strong character and work ethics.
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In the next 10 to 15 years we will have hundreds more boys living on the streets, if we don't come together and give them opportunities to find meaningful work. This is why I support FOA to provide practical job skills training.
Comforts beadwork expresses her creativity
Before Comfort ended up on the streets, she was forced to drop out of school to help her aunt and mother earn money by selling fish at the market. But even while she was in school, Comfort struggled. The lessons didn’t make sense to her, and her teachers only made things worse by calling her lazy and unintelligent. Comfort gradually gave up on schooling but she knew she was good with her hands—she just hadn’t figured out how to tap into that potential yet.
When FOA introduced her to different job skills, Comfort found her niche in beadwork, thanks to our partner, Accessory Vile. Over the past six months, she’s been learning to create beautiful bags and accessories, and this meticulous craft has given her not just a skill but also a sense of joy. She learnt different beading techniques pretty quickly, and although she admits it’s tough work pulling on strings all day, seeing the finished product makes it all worth it.
Harriet is honing her skills in catering
Harriet has always loved cooking, and now she’s honing her skills at Nyonyo, a catering service and restaurant. When she became pregnant while living on the streets, she was terrified and overwhelmed, especially since the father of her child refused to take responsibility and cut off contact. Harriet used to feel constantly stressed and unsure of how she’d provide for herself and her son. But now, she’s focused and determined. Fully committed to learning best practices in cooking, she’s thrilled to master both local and continental dishes. Her dream is to become a professional chef, catering for major events in Ghana and internationally.
Harriet’s supervisor has been incredibly supportive, mentoring her every step of the way. Harriet loves shadowing her and absorbing as much knowledge as possible. Although her training isn’t over yet, her hard work and positive attitude have already earned her a full-time job offer at the restaurant. Harriet is excited about the future and confident she’s on her way to achieving her dream.
Grace embraces her training in natural hair care
Grace is training to become a hairdresser at Twist & Locs Salon, where they specialize in natural hair care and styling. She’s been learning everything from the basics to more intricate braiding techniques. While she’s still perfecting her skills, she’s especially excited about mastering Afro locs and a range of braiding styles. The first couple of months were tough—she was shy and found it hard to talk to clients. But now, Grace has gained more confidence and is getting a lot better at interacting with customers, and she’s feeling great about her progress.
Future of Africa’s Vision
Over the next year, FOA is transforming its community center into a hub for skills training, entrepreneurship, and impact. We are creating workspaces for hairdressing, sewing, catering, and leatherwork by repurposing old shipping containers into practical workshops. These spaces will provide vocational training to 20 young boys and girls each year, giving them the tools to build meaningful careers.
Beyond training, the center will also offer a place for them to explore entrepreneurial opportunities. As our young trainees grow and succeed, they’re not only changing their own lives but also inspiring the community with their stories of resilience, hope, and determination.
