A Kogi State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Dove Love Foundation, has called on the Federal Government to give more attention to vocational education and skill acquisition in school curriculum in the rural areas.
Its president, Mrs Agnes Achimugu, made the call during the graduation of vocational trainees sponsored by the foundation, at Oguma, headquarters of Bassa local government.
She said adequate attention was not being paid to rural dwellers in schools’ curricular.
Improvement in human development was imperative for economic, she said, development stressing that vocational training remains integral to national development.
Her words: “The progress of this country lies in the productivity of its citizens and I venture to stress that vocational education holds the key. Unfortunately, previous governments at all levels did not accord this model a deserving attention.
“Vocational education, especially for rural women, is highly recommended because on successful completion of such a programme, the graduand becomes not only employable, but she also becomes an employer. Vocational education makes beneficiaries, especially the women, to develop self-confidence and become self-reliant”.
The Aguma of Bassa Kingdom, Chief Williams Keke Jimba, praised the President and Founder of the Dove Love Foundation, Mrs Agness Achimugu for touching the lives of the vunerables in his community, adding that the NGO was doing a wonderful job in the society
He noted that the group was there on 31 October, 2014 “when she paid school fees for 30 secondary school pupils and “pledged to train at least 10 vulnerable people in our area”.
He called on the federal and state governments to partner with the NGOs in the fignt againtws poverty which he noted was still ravaging the rural communities with women and the physically challenged persons at receiving end.
He urged the parents to always strive to ensure that their wards acquire better education, particularly girl-child education, for the development of their communities and the state in general
Former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly and former chairman of Bassa Local Government, Alhaji Suleiman Adakeke also advocated for girl-child education, even as he lauded the efforts of the NGO which single handedly trained the young girls, including two physical challenged ones.
He stressed that the the Dove Love Foundation has challenged the men folk to devise means of tackling poverty by empowering all the vulnerable ones to alleviate poverty in society.
He called on political office holders in Bassa and others in Kogi State to help to reduce the high prevalent of poverty in the areas.
He advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the the working tools provided for them to uplift their standard of living, and congratulated them for the successful completion of the skill acquisition and training programme.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Paulina Gwatana, Yin Dangagra, Ruth Job, Grace Mohammed, Mulikatu Gwatana, Muritala Sherifat, Shaibu Rahmat, Kashe Jimba, Gbaje Patience and Nefisat Suleiman, took turns to express appreciation for the opportunity, saying they will make good use of it.
The foundation, according to the promoters, has trained over 200 rural women in various skill acquisition programmes, providing them with working equipments for self-reliance.
Speaking on behalf of the parents and guardians, Mr. Rufai Mustapha hailed the foundation for impacting positively on the people of the area, particularly those in the lower economic strata.
