Spotlight on Youth - Philip Thomas Dokurugu

Born and schooled in the Northern Region of Ghana, Philip Dokurugu was the first in his family of eight to complete tertiary training. He worked hard throughout his Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Technology and managed to transfer an internship into full-time employment with a local NGO sponsoring children. Leaving Tamale to work in Tumu was a major shift for Philip, but he climbed in his organization and became a technical officer, where his love for training and spreading knowledge surfaced.

Having a wife and a small child living back in Tamale was challenging for Philip so he made the difficult choice to leave his job and return to his family. Philip was back home and looking for employment, but even with his years of experience out of school, finding a job proved to be arduous. “When I left my job in Tumu, I could not find a job in Tamale. My performances at interviews were abysmal and it was an indication that I no longer had contemporary skills.” He worked hard to find a job, but there was something missing, something he once had when he finished school but could no longer access.

Through a friend, Philip learned about EQWIP HUBs and quickly applied. “The whole course was like a renewal of my work. EQWIP HUBs is not academic; it is so practical. The demonstrations make it much easier for one to understand what it actually means to have ‘employability’ or ‘entrepreneurship’ skills.” Philip went through a revival, where he was able to relocate his skills, develop effective tactics of communications, and learn to work in a group. What truly impacted Philip were the relationships he built with people at the Hub and the drop-in services he accessed. “The people at the Hub, the attitude you carry is positive, and it is contagious. Other learning centres are not like EQWIP HUBs. I go to use the services and I don’t pay anything, I just feel free and use anything made available. EQWIP is one of its kind.”

By volunteering for a local NGO, Lively Minds, in the past, Philip was able to renew his connections with them, sparking a conversation regarding fulltime employment. He was at the Hub everyday working on his CV and interview skills and when the time came, he applied to an opening and was offered a three-year, fulltime, paid contract. “I now get to plan lessons for mothers, who have no education of themselves, to use to raise their own children. That is what is drawing me in and I love to do it.”

When he has spare time, Philip still works on his business idea, a pig farm, where he hopes to work with his own family and people who cannot find employment. “I still have my library of information from EQWIP, and I can still look back.” Philip’s integrity, hard work, and positivity enlightened EQWIP and we are grateful to have worked with him.