No fewer than 200 young teenage girls have been empowered by the PAVE project powered by Hacey Health Initiative to drive the needed skill acquisition for young girls in Ibeju Lekki and Ikorodu Metropolis in Lagos with business skills, training on financial management skills, Menstrual hygiene, leadership skills, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), baking, fashion and Make-up arts.
The skills also include; Leadership skill, mental health, management skills, environmental awareness skill, sexual health education and reproductive health rights amongst others.
They were enrolled for one year and at the end of the programme, beneficiaries of the initiatives who got enrolled into the PAVE Impact project were given certification as they had just graduated from Fashion Schools.
Speaking on the development, chairman of Ikorodu local govt, Hon. Wasiu Ayodeji Adesina commended HACEY Health Initiative efforts in amplifying skills and business facilitation skills for young girls who do not have requisite skills to function in the community.
He added that this would spur them for future events to equip themselves to be self employed, self-reliant and self-sufficient to drive the needed employment and growth status to improve their own livelihoods in their various establishments.
He stated that the global economy is growing at a fast pace such that more progress is needed to increase employment opportunities, particularly for women to reduce the rate of redundancy and unemployment.
He further affirmed that the PAVE Impact initiative of HACEY would promote gender equality, enhance working environment and promote safe and secure working environments for young girls around Ikorodu Metropolis.
Also speaking on the importance of empowering and improving access of girls to SRHR services at the event, the programme manager of HACEY Health Initiative, Chioma Osakwe explained that, efforts towards improving the quality of lives of the girl child should be seen as a priority to improve them with affordable skills that will contribute to their entrepreneurial skills for future events.
According to Osakwe, “we have been able to partner with community actors and gate keepers to help them become productive adding that this would ensure they become active contributory members to their families and communities to break out of poverty and increase life outcomes for their children.”
Launched in 2014, the HACEY Health Initiative empowers disadvantaged young girls and women by helping them learn vocational skills; assists and supports them in setting up businesses; as well as provide them with key information on sexual and reproductive health and rights so they can make a better life for themselves and increase the possibility of them getting back on track towards a productive life and make better life choices, she said.
Osakwe explained that the programme targets girls and women who do not have the skills and knowledge required to earn a living while stressing that, studies have shown that girls within the aforementioned age bracket tend to engage in risky behaviours as an alternative to fending for their daily needs. In some cases, these girls end up engaging in street hawking prostitution and illegal use of drugs. Osakwe added.
She reiterated the need to empower women and girl children, especially the poor rural women which, she said, is fundamental to economic development in Nigeria.
She said, this gradually brings them out of the vicious cycle of poverty. “Therefore, empowering women via soft skills training and microfinance interventions will empower and stimulate women to achieve food security and foster national development,” he stressed.
Osakwe added that, by empowering women via skills training and microfinance interventions, it will empower and stimulate women to achieve food security and foster national development.
“As the gender gap remains particularly wide in terms of accessibility to health, education participation in the planning process and employment in Nigeria, many girls and women continue to be trapped in the cycle of poverty, therefore, limiting their ability to live to their full potential.
“Research has shown that over 50 per cent of Nigerian women especially those residents in the rural areas are yet to attain a stable threshold for personal well-being aimed at achieving gainful economic activity,” she averred
One of the beneficiaries of the PAVE project who just graduated from fashion and baking school Adeola Togun appreciated HACEY for the impactful training that would empower her with a skill to fend for herself.
