There was excitement among the inhabitants of the ancient city of Badagry as they came out in droves to receive training in various skills. The Prime Women Builders Foundation of Nigeria (PWOBFON) had visited the town with its empowerment programme.
At the event entitled, “An Enterprising Heart,” over 2,000 people, mostly women were trained in vocational and skill acquisition schemes.
Apparently eager to break loose from the shackles of poverty, house wives;
pregnant women; nursing mothers; school leavers and unemployed youths participated in the PWOBFON’s 2015 empowerment day.
The early morning downpour did not deter the beneficiaries as they trooped to the local government council headquarters, Ajala, Badagry from different locations as early as 7:00 a.m., to be part of the one-day event which began with seminars in which the participants were taken through various vocational trainings.
Focal points of the first segment were training on tailoring; soap making; wireworks; cake baking/icing; ankara designing; barbeque; household items; popcorn production; headgear knotting; bleach making; air freshener production and computer training, among others.
The participants later came together for the second session of the programme which involved lectures and presentations by representatives of the participating companies who also educated the trainees on how to start their own businesses as agents and distributors of different products.
This was followed by lectures by business management experts who took the participants on entrepreneurial spirit.
Some of the major players in the manufacturing sector that participated in the event commended the organisers for their vision and commitment to poverty reduction and women empowerment. They also pledged their willingness to partner PWOBFON in its resolve to alleviate poverty among the people.
For instance, Lucky Fibres Plc, makers of Nobel rugs and carpets, praised the foundation for its vision, promising to do business with the women. It equally assured the participants that with N25, 000, they could do business with the company from their homes.
Other organisations that participated in this year’s empowerment day were Honeywell Flour Mill Plc; May &Baker’s Lily Water; Ozone Hair Relaxer; Klin Soap; Nipen Bic and Rite Foods, among others.
Over the years, PWOBFON had been rotating its annual empowerment day to different areas of Lagos State. Councils such as Ikeja, Alimosho, Ikorodu and Badagry had benefitted from previous programmes of the foundation.
The National President of PWOBFON, Mrs. Kemi Olofinkua expressed the intention of the foundation to extend the empowerment programme to other states of the federation.
Fielding questions from journalists on the sideline of the event, Olofinkua called for concerted efforts towards poverty reduction in the society, warning that the current poverty situation in Nigeria portends grave danger to the country.
She argued that collaboration among government, individuals and organisations was necessary in reducing the rising poverty level in the society, stressing that some men have also benefitted from the foundation’s scheme.
“In the past years, we have seen men coming to our empowerment programmes; we don’t want to be seen as gender-partial. So, we decided to go on with the computer hardware training. It has been good because people are giving testimonies about this programme,” she said.
Obviously elated by the success of the event, Mrs. Olofinkua commended the beneficiaries for their zeal and determination to creep out of the poverty ditch by embracing the training in their thousands.
She said: “Today’s event is quite different from what we have been having in the past. It is quite different because for the first time, we saw great zeal among the participants. We ended the vocational training and started the second part which is the corporate session, yet the people refused to leave the vocational training.
“And for the first time, I saw some children being desirous to do things by themselves. We witnessed a little child exhibiting creativity and the ability to do beadwork, I was impressed and I have promised them that we will come back to this local government to encourage them to realise that they can no longer rely on white collar jobs for their financial future.
“Younger children that are less that 15 years old indicated interest in learning so many crafts such as bead making, shawama and other skills.
It really elated my heart. The turnout was great; people came all the way from Ikorodu and other locations to participate in the programme. People really need this empowerment.
“They need to be talked to, they need to be trained. We have done it in different local governments and each time we go out, we see people trooping out to be part of the programme.
“For example, people gathered here before the scheduled time thereby demonstrating their willingness to learn how to break away from poverty which is holding them down.
The PWOBFON’s boss said the foundation has been sponsoring the annual empowerment project solely despite the huge financial implications, stressing that she is being driven by the passion to see women empowered. She urged the various tiers of government to take poverty alleviation seriously for the good of the society. Mrs. Olofinkua said she was satisfied in what she is doing for the good of the society notwithstanding the financial constraint.
“Only God has been sustaining this empowerment programme. With the exception of this year, for the past seven years, I have been writing the governments each year concerning this programme but there hasn’t been any positive response. But we are not bothered about this.
“Government should realise that people actually need this empowerment. We have been using our money to fund this project but we are not tired. This is an annual programme and I am already thinking about the next year’s event.
“We have gotten an invitation to do vocational training in secondary school for the students. So, we are already thinking about how to catch these children young. Also, we are targeting the professionals who have indicated interest in this training. The vision is expanding and we are happy doing what we are doing.”
One of the resource persons, Mr. Lanre Da-silva, praised the foundation and commended Mrs. Olofinkua for her determination to pull many people out of the poverty line.
Da-silver said: “Each time I come, I sincerely wonder how she gets the crowd because the people keep coming. I have been with her to Ikeja Local Government Area; I have been with her to Alimosho Local Government Area and Ikorodu Local Government Area and now in Badagry and the people keep coming. That tells me that many people in the society need empowerment. It is an indication that so many people live below the poverty line and all they need to come up and get a regular income is just to tell them the right things to do.
“Many women and young people keep coming to this event, so I am not surprised. She (Mrs. Olofinkua) is passionate with what she is doing and I wish that the corporate organisations should partner this woman in what she is doing as part of their own corporate social responsibilities where they can add value to the lives of these women in a small way.”
One of the PWOBFON advisers, Rev. Emmanuel Olofinkua praised God for sustaining the programme since its inception seven years ago. According to him, the event was the expression of the desires and vision which God has laid in the heart of the organisers towards the people.
“It is a thing of joy. But it is highly taxing because the work that we are doing is not something that we are paid by somebody or a venture that we are paid back. Again, many of the people that we used for this programme are volunteers; we thank God for those that He has used to make this vocational training a huge success,” he said.
He called for concerted efforts to tackle unemployment in the country, saying: “Unemployment is increasing on an alarming rate. You have many graduates roaming the streets without job. Those that are able to get jobs are on contract appointments; they are not sure of permanent appointments, no hope for the future. “It wasn’t like that before and it calls for caution. I wonder how far the government’s poverty alleviation has impacted on the masses. But I can say that it has not really achieved anything. But with what we have done here today, I can testify that for over the years, some of the people that have come in contact with this programme are now doing fine.
“Some of them are now successful bead makers, others are soap makers and they no longer depend on anybody to make ends meet. So, this is something I think that our government should look into.”
Some of the beneficiaries also testified that the programme has been a tremendous blessing to them. Mrs. Ekwuagana Oluchi Rosalyn told journalists that her life has been transformed since she came in contact with the foundation. She, therefore, advised other women to embrace the empowerment programme for their financial freedom.
“I have been following them every year and for me to come all the way from Iyana-Ipaja is an indication that I love what they are doing.
“My advice goes to women who call themselves housewives. There is nothing like housewives again because one can do things even in her one room apartment. It can be soap making, hand-washing soap or other things. She will sell whatever she produces because Lagos is the cheapest place to live in Nigeria,”she said.