Over Fifty (50) less privileged young girls and widows have become beneficiaries of a Skill Acqusition Training and Empowerment Program organised by the Rotary Club Umuahia Central, District 9142 in partnership with the Connak Foundation.
The Empowerment Program is in line with one of the Rotary Club’s area of focus; community and economic development.
Trainees of the program are expected to be empowered in various skills including; Cosmetics Production- Soap,Detergent Antiseptics and Bleach making in addition to Fascinators/Auto Gele, Cosmetology and other crafts after which a take off grant will be given them to help actualize and put in skills learnt into practice.
Speaking while declaring the programme open in Umuahia, the District Governor, Rotary club of Nigeria, (D9142) Ndukwe Chukwu expressed happiness at the choice of women as participants of the program pointing out that when a woman is empowered, the nation benefits.
Chukwu who was represented by the District Governor Nominee,Rotarian Grace Okaro, noted that the number of poor girls will be reduced to the minimum as a result of the empowerment programme and thanked the President and members of the Rotary Club of Umuahia central for collaborating with Connak Foundation to impart positively on the lives of the less privileged members of the society.
Also speaking, the President, Rotary club of Umuahia Central Rtn Sunny Megwara disclosed that the Empowerment Program culminated as a fallout of the NEEDS Assessment Programme carried out by the Rotary Committee on Service Projects pointing out that the program is in line with the Club’s focus on community and economic development. He went on to state that the skills were carefully selected taking into considerations its; viability, cost implications and duration of training.
Megwara noted that the program has been systematically arranged with mechanism being put in place to guarantee sustenance.
In his words: “This is an avenue to train widows and young girls on specific skills and at the end of the day, empower them so that it could help in their sustenance.
“The program will not end here. There’s a mechanism being put in place to monitor the progress of these trainees with respect to how they are able to put the stipend given to them as start up capital into productive use for the skill they eventually engage themselves in”.
The Chief Operating Officer of the Connak Foundation, Miss Nene Jones, while pointing out that the foundation shares similar vision with the Rotary Club, urged the enterprenuers to make good use of the golden opportunity and learn skills which will better their lives.
In their goodwill messages, the Chairman, Umuahia North LGA, Rtn. Lucky Akabuike and the Club’s Committee Chairman, Service Projects, Rtn. Glory Emuchay, described skills acqusition as the best way to go especially with the present day economic realities, noting that the program is aimed at changing lives and giving back to humanity which they said,is the core essence of the Rotary Club.
Some of the trainees who spoke to National Ambassador including,Ogba Favour,Sunday Esther and Nduka Chiamaka thanked the Rotary club and Connak Foundation for impacting on their lives positively.
They assured that they will make good use of the program to better their economic lot.
The program had in attendance; Past and Present Rotary Presidents in the zones, Assistant Governor and past Assistant Governors of Rotary clubs, top businessmen, Captains of Industries, Government Officials which includes; the Abia State Head of Service, Rtn Onyii Wamah, Commissioner, Ministry of Homeland Security, Rtn Dan Okoli, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Rtn Kelechi Alozie among others.
