Oboroche Ubaha Autonomous Community in Orodo, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State ended year 2021 on cheery notes when on December 31, one of their sons based in the United States of America, Udodiri Eze (Ezekwemba), sponsored a skill acquisition programme to enhance the economic wellbeing of women and youth in the community.
Tagged UDpreneurship -Oboroche Skill Empowerment Project, the free skill acquisition and training programme was coordinated by Transformation Africa Initiative (TRAIN) Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation.
172 persons were trained in various skills, covering confectionery, cosmetology, farming, Solar, hair making, painting, leather works, and more.
The essence of the skill up project which ran for ten weeks from September was to reduce unemployment and social vices through skill and entrepreneurship empowerment.
Sponsor of the project, Udodiri Eze (Ezekwemba) said that the project was devoid of political or any other colouration. “It is just our own little way of contributing our quota to combating the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and improving the standard of living in our community.
It is our way of helping people to identify and develop their talent,” he said at the end-of-the-year event, the hallmark of which was public presentation of products by the beneficiaries. It was also an occasion to present certificates to participants. He added: “It is better to teach the people how to fish, than to give them fish. We must go beyond giving people rice, cow and cash to celebrate. We need to empower them to earn sustainable income and improve their wellbeing.”
Pastor Jarlath Nnamdi Onuegbu, an Architect and Executive Director, Transformation Africa Initiative (TRAIN), said: “The skill up project is a free skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by the Transformation Africa Initiative (TRAIN), as a tool to reduce the rate of unemployment, and social vices in the target community, which might extend to other communities and to the country at large.
We believe that usefully engaging the participants with skills will make them financially benefit themselves and provide for their loved ones. We also believe that when we equip one idle person, say a widow, with a skill and a startup support, the widow will have the potential of providing the basic needs of two or more extra persons.”
The skills covered during the ten-week programme included solar panel installation and basic electronics, confectionaries, including cake making, meat pie, dough nut, pea nut, chemicals, such as emulsion paints, and text coat. Other areas covered were cosmetology, including making of liquid soap, perfumes, bar soap, liquid disinfectants, hair cream, and hand sanitizer.
Participants were also empowered with skills in leather works to produce foot wears and belt. They also acquired skills in hair making (wig making), and farming, such as snail farming, fish farming, and poultry.
