From Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
Twenty(20) teen mother dropouts in Bayelsa State have been enrolled for a legal education and vocational skills acquisition training programme facilitated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, in collaboration with a gender advocacy group, StandUp for Women Society, SWS, in conjunction with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Legal Aid CDS Group
The teenagers who were selected from rural communities within Yenagoa Local Government Area, will undergo training in Fashion Design, Catering, Make-Up, and Hair Dressing, for three months at the Bayelsa State International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, located in the state capital.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Yenagoa, the Deputy Manager, Capacity Building, NCDMB, Mr. Timbiri Augustine, said the Board attaches so much importance on training and human capital development, hence the support for the training.
Augustine, who commended the stakeholders for initiating the training, underscored the importance of the training, noting that this is the first time this category of persons will be captured by the Board for skills acquisition training programme of the Board.
He said: “We have noted that employment is limited but there is the entrepreneurship window that is open for all of us, there are only two ways to generate income either as a service provider or producer or both. This trainings will expose you to skills to become a service provider and a producer.
“We expect maximum commitments, you have a role to play, we are playing our own role, the trainers are expected to play their own role, as you are also expected to play your own role and remain committed and align with our expectations. We want to thank the stakeholders involved in this training,NCDMB knows the importance of partnership, and collaboration is one of our key priorities.”
In his remarks, the Rector, Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Prof. Apuega Arikawie commended the NCDMB for utilizing the facilities offered by the Institute for its different trainings and for financing different training programmes in the Niger Delta and country at large.
He said: “As a way to empowering teenage mothers to have a scheme for themselves to enable them take care of the child, the NCDMB thought it wise to sponsor this particular programme.The programme will make them entrepreneurs and reduce criminality, poverty in the Niger Delta and other anti social vices bedevilling the Niger Delta.”
Also speaking, the NYSC CDS coordinator, Esther Odum, thanked and applauded the sponsor and the child rights act and building competence that would educate the teenage mothers for three weeks on various skills and legal education and enjoined them to utilize the starter packs and certificate to be issued by the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality.
The South-South Coordinator of the SWS, Timi Idoko advised the teenage mothers not to toy with the opportunity as the training will make them become employers of labour and entrepreneur.
In her remarks, Barr. Dise Ogbise, coordinator, Gender Response Initiative ( GRIT) posited that her organization was borne out of various cases of violence against women folks, including teenage mothers and sees this training as very unique for those who might lose hope with early pregnancy and encouraged them to be hopeful as this collaboration and partnership would end the sorrows and disappointments associated with early unwanted pregnancies among young girls as gone are those days when teenage pregnancies cut short future ambitions of young girls.
Speaking to journalists lately, the state Chairperson of Standup for women Society (SWS) Liberator Eunice Nnachi, said, with this collaboration and partnership to train teenage mothers was a dream come true as she has been worried about teenage mothers and unwanted pregnancies right from her service period and have been thinking of how to remedy the situation and she would ever remain grateful to NCDMB for supporting the collaboration and partnership aimed at empowering the teenage mothers and social integration into the society.
She disclosed that the beneficiaries were selected from the eight local government areas resident in Yenagoa and subsequently with the success of the pilot program the selection will be extended to those in the rural areas, as measures were put in place to monitor the beneficiaries as any act of insorbudination and indiscipline will not be condoned.
Speaking in their separate interviews, two of the beneficiaries Rosemary Ogbara and Queen Egemuze were excited about the training that would enable them to be proficient in various skills that will ultimately make them employers of labour and will save them from turning into beggars to survive.
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