WARRI/Nigeria: In a bid to reduce poverty in Nigeria, the Vaccine Network, in partnership with Caritas Nigeria, has empowered no fewer than 30 adolescents and youth with various skills through what it called the ‘4gates project’.
Mr. James Obute, Program Manager of Vaccine Network said this at the distribution of start-up kits to the beneficiaries in Warri, Delta state.
He said that the high poverty and unemployment levels in the country informed the Vaccine Network’s decision, which he noted, was designed to address the menace in a practical way by equipping the youth with market-relevant skills.
“Adolescents and youth are the productive sectors of any society, they are also the first victims of societal ills, hence if properly engaged it would reduce out-of-school dropouts as well as reduce the financial burden on their families,” he stated.
Obute noted that the participants selected were those who had completed their one-year training program on various skills such as fashion design, hair making, make-up, welding, and barbing.
In his address, a representative from Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria, Mr. Ezekiel Onuh, said that Caritas was an indigenous NGO in collaboration with Vaccine Network that empowers caregivers infected or affected with AIDS to access their medication as well as their education.
He encouraged the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment but put the items to good use, saying that there would be periodic supervision.
Responding, Mrs. Patricia Ofomukoro, mother to Victory Omovie, a participant trained in fashion design, expressed appreciation to the organization for giving hope to them.
Rashidat Ibrahim, a participant trained as a make-up artist, thanked the organization on behalf of the participants.
She promised that participants would make good use of the knowledge acquired and the equipment, to ensure enhanced income.
