By Abayomi Elias
The Beneficiaries of training and Start-up Capital.
In a bid to eliminate poverty and foster economic independence and self-sufficiency among young women, Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI), in partnership with Empower Foundation, have successfully trained and empowered few young women with vocational, entrepreneurial and life skills, and start-up capital to launch their businesses.
Newsconnect reports that this is the second edition of the empowerment initiative in two years.
A total of 15 participants were selected from 50 women for entrepreneurial training based on their commitment and enthusiasm during the initial training on Human Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Business Management, financial literacy, savings culture, and Sustainability.
Following further assessment, 13 of them completed the program in their chosen vocational paths—including hair styling, make-up and nail artistry, shoemaking, fashion designing, tattooing, culinary arts, and event decoration.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony with newsmen, Ngozi Nwosu-Juba, Project Director at Vision Spring Initiatives, said:
“Today, we’re celebrating 13 young women who have completed training in various skills of their choice.
“This project aligns with our mission to uplift women out of poverty by equipping them with both knowledge and financial tools to thrive.
“Some of the women trained for three months, others for up to eight months.
“At graduation, we provide them with a start-up to kickstart their businesses. We’ve learned that economic empowerment is a vital complement to human rights education, especially in these times of rising inflation.
“Inflation has skyrocketed from the last time we did this. So, we are poised to see how we can get money and up what we are giving presently.
”Each graduate received a start-up capital to support their new businesses”. She said.
Olasunkanmi Abosede Sarah, a beneficiary in the culinary and events decoration, shared her gratitude with newsmen:
“This is the first step in my journey to success. I’m grateful for the foundation this training has given me. It’s a rare opportunity, and VSI has shown us support every step of the way”.
Mayaki Evelyn, who trained in shoemaking, also spoke about her experience:
“I am proud of what I can do for myself now. The footwear am wearing, I made it by myself. I have a passion of making shoes, I have always thought of making shoes. With the help of VSI, they helped to achieved my goal, they paid for my training. With the funds I’ve received, I can now purchase tools and materials to further my craft”. She said.
Onatunji Oluwadamilare, a trainer in male fashion designing, commended the dedication of his trainee and emphasized that success requires more than just technical skills.
“My trainee had an experience before in female wears. She had to switch to male wears. There are some challenges because of her background as a female-centered designer. They tend to do things differently from male-centered designers. Overtime, she has adjusted.
“It takes commitment, focus, and hard work to rise. I’m proud of the progress made, and I appreciate VSI for creating this opportunity”. He said.
Traditional leader Chief J.O. Badejo, Baale of Oluwoye in Ibeshe, who was present at the event, applauded VSI’s consistent investment in women. In an interview with journalists at the event, he said;
“If more privileged individuals or organizations engaged in such life-changing interventions, our society would be better. VSI is giving these young women a future and direction. I have been associated with VSI for a long time, and I continue to pray that God will guide and strengthen them always”.
Towards ensuring long-term success, VSI has developed a mentorship and monitoring system. Graduates are paired with established women in business who served as mentors and help guide their growth.
Ngozi Nwosu-Juba added that: “This isn’t a one-off event, we monitor past beneficiaries, track their progress, and provide additional support when needed.
“Our goal is to build a generation of focused, self-reliant young women who believe in themselves and their capacity to lead.
“We are hoping that in five years, we can go back to the first year and see how our beneficiaries are doing and if anyone needs further support, we can provide it.
“We want these young women to remain focused and to believe in themselves and to also believe that change is possible.We hope young women would be leaders and not just for themselves, but for the society”.
Mary Udoh, Program Lead at VSI, reiterated that the project’s recruitment process was designed to identify women who would make the most of the opportunity. She expressed optimism about the future outcomes of the initiative.
A representative from the National Human Rights Commission, Queeneth, speaking on behalf of the State Coordinator, Dr. Lucas Koyejo, described the project as a model for youth empowerment:
“EmpowerHer is a sustainable initiative that not only transforms the lives of women but also contributes to the development of society at large.
”Through this initiative, Vision Spring Initiatives continues to advance gender justice by combining rights-based education with tangible economic empowerment clearing the way for a generation of confident, skilled, self-sufficient, and independent young women”.