Lagos State Universal Basic Education (LASUBEB) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), has empowered 250 indigent parents of out-of-school children with skill acquisitions and working tools as part of efforts toward ensuring that their children remain in school.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the empowerment programme, the Chairman of LASUBEB, Wahab Alawiye-King, said that the motive of the programme was to reduce the menace of ‘Out of School Children’ in Lagos due to socio-economic problems.
He added that LASUBEB collaborated with WAPA to give parents the necessary skills to make them more productive.
He said selecting participants for the free programme was done in collaboration with the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) and only parents in dire need of skills and empowerment were given opportunities. “I visited the training centres and the willingness of the participants was impressive, they were happy doing the skills.
“My message to them is that they go out there and use the skills wisely so that the aim and objective of the programme can be achieved for the good of all,” he added.
WAPA Commissioner, Mrs. Cecelia Dada, said “a lot of children have dropped out of school and so this programme is to help parents. It’s a socio-economic intervention directed at financial sustainability and progress.
“The present administration under the leadership of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken women empowerment as one of its focal policies in order to mitigate the effects of poverty prevalent amongst women. SUBEB also wants parents to keep their wards and children in school. I, therefore, encourage the beneficiaries to make the best use of the various skills you have learnt.”
The beneficiaries were trained in catering/confectioneries, gele/make-up application, tie/dye, craft/leather making, decorations, production of soap and healthy insecticide. The beneficiaries were also given working tools according to the vocation they acquired by WAPA and LASUBEB at the end of their training.