One hundred students have graduated from the Make –up/Gele making empowerment programme organised by Hon Olawale Olayiwola, the member representing Mushin Constituency 11 in the Lagos State House of Assembly. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports that the graduates were given free make-up kits to start their own businesses.
At the end of the one month training on Make-up/Gele making, 100 persons were given certificate and free make-up kits, with which they will start their own businesses.
The graduands were all smiles, dressed in blue branded T-shirts; the females were on beautiful make-up, all looking radiant as they received their certificate and the make-up kits at Mushin Local Government auditorium in Lagos State last Thursday.
It was at the graduation ceremony of the Make-up/Gele making empowerment programme powered by Hon Olawale Olayiwola, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Mushin Constituency II. The event featured practical sessions in which the graduating students tied gele and did make up for some of the guests who included political/ market women, family members, friends and members of the public.
According to Olayiwola, the gesture is to empower the mases.
He said the goal of the training and empowerment is to enable the participants to be self-reliant and stop reliance on white collar jobs. “It is clear that government cannot provide all jobs; this is why we are empowering them so that they will have means of livelihood.
“The gesture was borne out of the need to identify Mushin constituency II. There is poverty in our society and as a good representative of Mushin constituency II, I needed to keep the problem at grave. This is why program as this is targeted at empowering participants in make-up / gele tying. The unique part of the programme is that after the training, we empowered them with tools to start a business by giving out make-up kits to all the 100 participants.
”At the beginning of the training, I told the entire trainee that on their graduation day, they would be empowered and I have fulfilled the promise.”
He told the graduates to make good use of the kits, noting that it is a promise made and fulfilled.
According to him, a huge amount of money was spent on the project.
“The amount spent cannot be quantified; money was spent on the training, the materials used and the kits given out. I am happy that public spirited people like Chief Joshua Okeowo of Joshua Okeowo Foundation assisted in the project.
“All our training is free; I have also been offering free computer training programme for years and participants are given free computers after the training, which is expected that they start business with. I also distribute free GCE forms to the community; reach out to widows and scholarships are given to students among other programs for the people.
“This is the maiden edition of the make-up and gele-tying. This program cuts across a lot of people, both male and female: the graduands are not limited to Mushin Local Government, we have some people from Ojodu Berger, Ejigbo, Surulere, Lagos Island as well as party members.”
Olayiwola said the community should expect more dividends of democracy.
He urged youths not to indulge in any activities that do not pay. “They should not be idle, but they should engage their time constructively; an idle hand is the devils work shop, they should face their studies, look inward and get themselves engaged.”
Vice Chairman, Odiolowo Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area ( LCDA ), Seyi Jakande, described the project as a good initiative..
He said; “This is a good programme and I am excited about this initiative considering the situation of things in the country’s economy where our employment level is relatively low.
“If everybody, including the private sector could go into this kind of programme, it will take care of most of our youth and take them off the street. Youth empowerment enables them to begin to make a living.”
He noted that the Local Government has a similar programme where youths are
accommodated, including programs that take youths off the streets and empower them.
He urged youths to be patient with government, adding that the grandaunts should move in a new direction, stay focused and maintain a high level of integrity. “They should continue in what they have learnt, practice and get experience.”
Women leader Mushin Local Government, Alhaja Surakatu Adunni, described the program as good, nothing that Olayiwola deserves a second term with the kind gestures he bestows on the people.
“He has done well on this project for both the training and the empowerment. This would be of help to our unemployed youths as they would use this training and the empowerment to increase their source of income.”
She urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the training, saying they must go all out to use the gele-tying and make-up skills to bring money to take care of themselves and their family.
“Olawale does well for all of us in this local government, men and women, old and young, market and party women.”
One of the beneficiaries, Morolayo Funmi, said she is happy on the training.
“This training goes a long way and it is well appreciated. Hon Olayiwola has done a good thing for us and I love it because I benefited a lot from it. I am a civil servant, but with this training I have already started tying gele and doing make-up for people and I get paid for it. Thile kit he gave us, will enable me expand my business, make more money and I aim to employ other people to work with me.”
“I love our honourable and I say thank you for this that you have done for us,” she said.