The Society for Family Health in collaboration with the Nigeria Directorate of Employment has trained 223 young girls in different areas of skills acquisition in Abia state.
Handing over certificate of completion to those who have graduated from the 3 months training programme at the Evermore event centre in Umuahia the state capital, the wife of the Governor of Abia state, Mrs. Priscilla Otti said that the collaboration between the Society for family health (SFH) and the national directorate of employment (NDE) in training 223 young women across the 17 Local Government Areas is truly commendable.
Mrs. Otti also stated that in recognizing the vulnerabilities faced by adolescent girls and young women aged 10 to 24, especially concerning gender-based violence and exploitation, this initiative is a beacon of hope.
“The three-month training program, encompassing key areas such as hairdressing, fashion designing, catering, bag making, and fish farming, is not just about acquiring skills; it’s about providing a platform for economic independence to the young girls”
According to her, “the commitment of society for family health and NDE to this cause resonates with the vision of the government of Abia state.
We understand the importance of creating opportunities for our youth, especially in the face of economic challenges.
This initiative aligns with our broader commitment to building a society where every individual, regardless of background, can realize their full potentials” she said.
However, in a recent meeting with the wives of newly appointed mayors from our 17 local government areas, we discussed the imperative of empowering our young girls and with the support of these women, we aim to extend our outreach even to the most remote areas of our state.
In her speech, the project cordinator of society for family health, Mrs. Aisha Adegbe, said that the vision behind training young girls is to create change and enhance life positively.
According to her, “in the last 3 years we have been in Abia state, we have carried out hiv testing and care, training young girls in different skills and empowering them and at the same time educating young girls and pulling the vulnerable out of depression and poverty”.
Also speaking, the director general of Abia state control for hiv and aids, Dr. Uloaku Ukaegbu congratulates the state government for providing a conducive environment where the young women were trained and thanked SHF, NDE for being a partner in progress.
However, she stated that in controlling HIV/AIDS, we need to care and show love to young people so that they will not become vulnerable because of lack of job.
