A total of 20 women who survived the trauma of Gender -based Violence (GBV) have been rehabilitated and empowered with vocational skills in Akwa Ibom State.
The acting first lady of the state, Mrs. Helen Eno-Obareki, LEADERSHIP Friday learnt, provided the succour to the distraught women, making them undergo a 4-day skills acquisition training under the Pet Project of her late mother, Patience Umo Eno’s Golden Initiative for All (GIFA).
“The essence is to equip them with essential life skills and empower them with resources to take care of their daily needs,” Mrs. Obareki, the coordinator of the first lady’s office, explained.
Flagging off the training on hairdressing, tailoring, make-up, and gele-tying skills as well as pastries making, carried out with the support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in Uyo, the state capital, Eno Obareki, who doubles as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of GIFA, assured that “participants at the upskilling initiative will, upon completion, be provided with starter packs to set up their businesses.”
Addressing the forum, the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on General Duties and member of the GIFA team, Pastor Ann Abraham, explained that “the training, which is covered by the GBV prevention and response thematic area of GIFA, aligns with the STEAM Flagship Programme of the UNFPA, which provides integrated training on life skills, entrepreneurship and GBV prevention for young vulnerable women and girls.”
In their separate goodwill messages, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Hon. Inibehe Silas; a representative of the Budget and Economic Planning Ministry, Dr. Uduak Ekong; the chairperson of FIDA Uyo branch – Chief Magistrate Helen Umana and a member of the state GBV management committee, Obonganwan Patricia Obot, commended GIFA for the initiative, noting that the well-thought-out programme would not only aid the survivors in reintegrating into the society, but also help them regain their confidence.
They lauded the GIFA for sustained advocacy against rampant cases of GBV in the state.
Some survivors expressed their gratitude to the chairperson of GIFA, for her motherly disposition and valuable support made in the lives of GBV survivors, noting that the opportunities provided have eased their pains and given them the backing to stand tall and face life without fears.
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