As part of its efforts to equip young girls faced with challenges of maintaining school education, the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) has trained over 120 Secondary School students on various vocational skills as well as additional skill sets necessary to become empowered and financially independent.
The training, sponsored by USAID brought together experts in makeup, shoemaking, fascinator craft, jewelry, baking and soap making, to teach students on how to learn and become experts in such skills, so as to generate an income by themselves.
Speaking on the relevance of the training, Dr. Kemi Da Silva Ibru, Founder of WARIF stated that vocational skills training is one of the key ways of tackling the issue of financial independence of sexual abuse survivors: “The programme serves to empower young girls and women and to address the issue of the financial gap that exists with women who are in abusive relationships and situations but may not have a vocational skills set and are forced to remain and make poor choices due to this financial constraint,” she added.
In addition to the skills acquisition programme organized by WARIF, the organization also operates a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a safe and secure facility, where all can walk in and where trained staff are available to provide support to survivors through free medical care, legal aid, psycho-social counselling and social welfare with the sole purpose of helping survivors overcome and heal from these traumatic events and ultimately live an independent life free from trauma. Survivors can also contact the Centre through a 24-hour confidential helpline (08092100009) for immediate assistance, counselling and support.
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