In an effort to empower women in the Ibeju-Lekki local government area of Lagos State, the Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation has launched a groundbreaking initiative focused on providing vocational skills to young mothers in the state.
To this end, the programme, intended to benefit over 1,000 women, aimed to equip them with crucial skills, resources, and support to enhance their economic independence and self-sufficiency, especially as many of them are single mothers without male support in their households.
According to the programmeme manager, Kene Egbue, the programmeme was originally an expansion of the Foundation’s Sustainable Malnutrition Intervention Programme (SMALINT) for malnourished children. The initiative has received significant acclaim from residents and community leaders.
Ibeju Lekki local government area, which is in the heart of the state, has long faced poverty and limited opportunities, particularly for women. The transformative intervention has been providing more women with new skills to boost their job prospects.
With the success of the SMALINT programme, where over 1,000 women engaged in food demonstration classes, the Foundation has empowered over 40 women through vocational training.
Egbue asserted, “This initiative extends from the 2021 SMALINT programme launch. Understanding the strong connection between malnutrition and poverty, we aimed for a sustainable solution.
“Women’s empowerment is crucial for sustainable development and breaking the cycle of poverty. By offering essential tools and support, our goal is to help them create better lives for themselves and their families.”
Hence, the empowerment programme includes various activities focused on imparting practical skills and knowledge to women. While the participants have received training in fields such as hairdressing, tailoring, catering, ICT skills, and leadership development.
A primary goal of the programme is to enable women to generate income and achieve economic self-sufficiency. Through workshops and hands-on training at the vocational centre in Orimedu, participants have learned how to establish and manage small businesses, creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Programme participant, Mrs. Ofem Favour, expressed her gratitude for the initiative, saying, “As a single mother striving to support my family, the skills and support provided by this programme have been life-changing. Overcoming the challenge of lacking a skill was daunting, but through the catering training, I secured an industrial training opportunity, all thanks to the Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation.”
The Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation’s dedication to women’s empowerment goes beyond the programmeme, as the foundation continues to offer ongoing support to programmeme graduates, including mentoring, stipends, and opportunities for further education and training.
With a steadfast commitment to empowering women and nurturing inclusive, resilient communities, the foundation, in collaboration with its partners and stakeholders, is set to have a lasting impact on the lives of women in the Ibeju Lekki local council and beyond, just as it has impacted over 120,000 Nigerians in underserved communities.
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