A private firm for skills acquisition in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger says it has offered vocasional training to 150 women and youths in the area.
Mr Olusegun Samuel, Director, First Easy Cut Dynamic Centre (FECDC), disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Gurara.
Samuel said that the objective was to engage the women and youths positively in development activities during this coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
“There is a saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Many women and youths are idle during this lockdown. When somebody engaged in business or educational pursuit suddenly stops and doing nothing at home, it is dangerous.
“Out of frustration, trying to please himself or herself, anything can come up, it may be negative or positive,” the NGO director said.
He said that aside engaging the trainees to shun social vices, skill acquired during the training would make them self reliant and generate personal income.
“It is not a good idea to waste this period of lockdown doing nothing. There is need to learn a new thing to help oneself in future and contribute positively to the society,” he said.
The director further said that the trainees were trained between one and two months, depending on the vocation.
They were trained in tailoring, cosmetology, catering, barbing and hairdressing, welding and fabrication, aluminum fixing, solar installation and coupling of public address system.
Samuel noted that the centre only charge N2,000 per trainee, used to print their admission forms and certificate of training.
He further said that the centre which started operation in August 2019, with 84 female and 66 male would soon embark on training of youths in coupling of public address system in the 25 local government areas of the state.
The director said that it was capital intensive organising the programme which involve payment of trainers and running of generator as there was no electricity in Izom area of Gurara.
He appealed to the state government, Gurara local government area and spirited individuals for support to enable the centre impact positively on the women and youths.
One of the women trainee, however, spoke on the benefits and gains of the training.
Mrs Hassia Haruna, a 26-year old mother of two, said that the training would assist her start a business to support her family.
“I came here because I want to learn a trade to earn a living,” Haruna said.
She said that they are being trained on how to produce body cream, haircream, vaseline among others.
NAN reports that the centre started operation in Izom area of Gurara in January. (NAN)
