The Rose of Sharon foundation, the brainchild of Apostle Folorunso Alakija, recently trained 79 widows, including some of their children, in hydrographic-water transfer printing in Lagos.
The two-day training facilitated by Gold, Chrome and Hydrographic Ltd in conjunction with the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), taught the widows valuable hydrographic-water transfer printing techniques that can be used to transform discarded waste items and ordinary household objects into vibrant, resale-ready items.
Speaking on the initiative, country manager of the Rose of Sharon Foundation, Ndudi Bowei, said the hydrographic water transfer printing technique can be used on various materials, including plastic, glass, metal, fibre, wood, and others. In essence, the level of application is almost limitless.
She stated further that, “there is also the added benefit of recycling. Solid waste can be collected, treated, refurbished, redesigned, and reused as valuable goods or sold because this is a type of waste to wealth training.”
She elaborated on the training’s benefits by stating that water transfer printing, also known as hydro-dipping, is becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world, and once properly harnessed, it has the potential to become a lucrative business opportunity for widows in the country.
“Items like flowerpots, furniture, phone cases, laptop cases, electrical wall switches, bikes, and even car parts are just a few of such items that can be redesigned, printed, and sold,” she said.
Speaking further on the Enterprise Development Training Programme (EDTP), Dr Bowei disclosed that it was created to give widows a chance to learn lucrative business skills that will develop a source of income for them and their families.
During the training, the widows partook in several practical sessions demonstrating the unique ability of hydrographic-water transfer printing to customize and decorate any object of choice. Dr. B. Sonnie, the lead facilitator of the training, disclosed that they were willing to offer even more support after the training period to all the Rose of Sharon Enterprise Development Program participants, in terms of continuous training, mentorship and business support.
