Usually, when girls are not able to further their education, they enroll as apprentices and learn skills like sewing, hairdressing, straw and smock weaving.

They take up these vocations in preparation to take up future responsibilities.

Most of them tend to prefer learning smock weaving to the other vocations.

Some of them shared their thoughts with GhanaWeb's Upper East Regional Correspondent, Sarah Dubure.

An apprentice, Asana, noted that it was less costly for one to establish herself upon completion since one could even start up at home.

"When we complete and there is no money, we can at least start something small at home whiles waiting."

She explained that with a vocation like hairdressing, when one failed to establish a classy saloon, customers would not patronise her service.

"If you learn a skill like hairdressing and you complete, your saloon will have to look very nice and you need to have everything if not, customers will not come there," she said.

Another apprentice, Grace, indicated that she came from another region to learn the trade.

According to her, smocks weaved in Bolgatanga were different from those woven from other places, indicating that they were of better quality.

"The smocks from here are different from other places. You realise that the thread is very smooth in the cloth," she observed

She also expressed the hope of attaching all the needed attention to the work and learning hard, so that she would go back to her home to teach the folks there.

"It is not easy coming all the way to Bolgatanga to learn but I just want to learn the job well, so that I can go back and teach others."

Another apprentice, Asana, indicated that passion drove her into learning the vocation.

She added the fact that one would easily establish herself was also a factor.

Madam Asana who had developed a cut on her foot, however, indicated that learning the vocation came with some challenges for her.

She explained that one is required to wear boots to avoid injury since their work largely required movement of the feet on metal.

She also indicated that it was very difficult to afford the boots, as she was from a very deprived home.

Asana, who is on the verge of passing out stated that the machine used for weaving was very expensive and appealed for support to be able to purchase one to start up, upon completion.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com