Graduation ceremony: Executive Director and Founder of Development Initiative for Community Impact, DICI (Centre) flanked by the beneficiaries of the Summer Fest Skills Training, including resource personnel and staff of DICI
By Emeka Nwokocha
WARRI/Nigeria: More than 40 primary and secondary school students in Warri have been trained on basic computer skills, including leadership skills, communication skills, negotiation skills, decision making skills, moral values and how to set a goal.
The students are beneficiaries of a 6-week Summer Fest Skills Training session sponsored by Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI), a nongovermental organisation based in Warri, headquarters of Warri south local government area of Delta state.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the students who successfully completed the training recently, the founder and Executive Director of DICI, Mrs. Rachel Misan Rupee said the skills acquisition training was organized to teach the students how to operate and use computer effectively. Saying the students were given hand-on training on computer application and word processing tools such as Ms words, Ms Excel, including Power Point and Corel draw.
“Today is the closing ceremony of a 6-week summer fest skill training for primary and secondary school students around Warri area. The skills giving training was designed to get the students practice and acquire basic computer skills and also make them understand the sociopolitical makeup of the society. The children have been trained on basic computer application skills, leadership skills, communication skills, negotiation skills, decision making skills, societal values and how to set a goal. Forty-three (43) participants were admitted to take the training but 39 were able to get to the last stage and have been certified.”
L-R: Mr. Efe Ikpuri; Ms Nefertiti Ayo Okotie; Mrs. Rachel Misan Rupee, Executive Director and Founder of Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI); Mrs. Aguma Teminere; and a resource personnel
Continuing, she said, “the programme is a huge success. At the start of the training, the children had no knowledge of computer, but having gone through the 6-week training, every child that is being certified today, including the youngest child of 6 years old can type a full document, use the Ms words, Ms Excel, power point and to a good extent, the Corel draw.”
Speaking further, Mrs. Rupee said that DICI is a charitable nongovermental organisation committed to building a peaceful and vibrant society and promoting gender equity through policy advocacy, mobilization, training and education, in line with the sustainable development goal 4 of the United Nations.
Mrs. Rupee who said that the Summer Fest Skill Training was fully sponsored by DICI, stressed that it would have huge impact in building capacity in children when the initiative is sustained.
She noted that the Summer Fest Skill Training complements the governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s SMART Agenda with regard to enhancing knowledge through education, even as she stated that training could be sustained through sponsorship from government, corporate entities, private organisations and good spirited individuals.
Speaking at the occasion, a parent, Mrs. Aguma Teminere described the Summer Fest Skill Training as a laudable development, even as she appreciated the Executive Director of DICI, Mrs. Rachel Rupee for the initiative.
Her words: “this programme is a laudable initiative from the executive director of DICI. It has taken the children out of the streets and equipped them with basic computer skills and other training relevant for a child’s upbringing and also creating a platform for socialisation. I urge the government to sponsor good programmes like the Summer Fest Skill Training to sustain its positive impact on the children and society at large.”
She added, “if it is sustained, crime will reduce drastically including other social vices.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Adesuwa Osaretin, Mercy Orumu, Tega Brodoh and others, thanked the Executive Director of DICI for giving them the opportunity to develop basic computer skills free of charge, saying it was a great experience for them.
The highpoint of the ceremony was issuance of computer certification certificate to the graduating students.
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, parents, resource persons which included Mrs. Mrs. Aguma Teminere, Mr. Efe Ikpuri, Training coordinator, and Ms Nefertiti Ayo Okotie.
