DALUN: Thirty young individuals from six districts in northern Ghana have successfully completed a six-week training program in poultry production. The initiative aims to equip them with self-employable skills, enabling them to earn sustainable incomes within their communities. According to Ghana News Agency, the trainees were selected from Bongo, Bawku West, Chereponi, Gushegu, Tatali-Sangule, and Karaga Districts. The training, part of a broader six-month program, covered essential aspects of poultry production, including housing, health, nutrition, and marketing. This cohort marks the third group of participants in the project designed to enhance social cohesion in strategic cross-border areas (PARCS), with financial support from the French Development Agency. The project is implemented by Acting for Life, a French organization, alongside Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP). PARCS, a three-year initiative that commenced in December 2022, fo cuses on fostering social cohesion and promoting inclusive socio-economic development in strategic cross-border regions. Throughout its duration, the project aims to train 240 youths in various fields, such as organic poultry production, agro-processing, organic vegetable production, tiling, plastic paneling, and plumbing. Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director of GDCA, highlighted during the graduation ceremony in Dalun, Kumbungu District, that the project is being executed in phases. The initial two batches have already completed their training and are actively contributing to job creation within their communities. The program is structured to provide youth in cross-border communities with employable skills, reducing the risk of recruitment into extremist groups from neighboring regions. It also seeks to foster social cohesion and engage the youth in productive economic activities. The beneficiaries will have the opportunity to connect with the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service to obtain necessary certifications. Alhaji Roland Mahamudu Yahaya, a former Manager at Dalun Simli Centre and a training facilitator, emphasized that the participants received comprehensive training not only in poultry production but also in essential socio-economic skills and customer service. Rukaya Yakubu, a participant from the Chereponi District, expressed that the training has highlighted the significance of rural poultry production, which is uncommon among young women in her community. She noted, "Bringing us together from different regions and communities with diverse backgrounds has taught me how to live and bond with other tribes and ethnic groups."