By Ogochukwu Agha
No fewer than 68 girls and young women have benefited from a two-week skills acquisition and empowerment programme organised by Sisi Global Foundation under its Girls Empowered to Multiply (GEM) Initiative.
The beneficiaries, aged between 12 and 25, participated in the maiden edition of the programme held simultaneously in Festac Town, Lagos, and Jos, Plateau State, with 48 girls trained in Lagos and 20 in Jos.
Executive Director of the foundation, Mercy Ohiaeriaku, who spoke virtually at the closing ceremony of the programme from her base in the United States, explained that the initiative was designed to equip girls with the knowledge, practical skills, confidence and relationships needed to navigate life and prepare for their future.
The foundation, which, according to her, originated in the United States and is expanding its operations to Nigeria and other countries, deliberately adopted what she described as an upstream approach by intervening early in girls’ lives, rather than waiting for challenges to escalate into crises.
She said the philosophy underpinning the initiative was rooted in the belief that “a girl’s future should not be determined by the circumstances she was born into or the opportunities that happened to be around her.”
She stressed that “participation in the programme was completely free.“Every single thing they did, including the skills training, was free. They did not pay a dime for anything. It is going to be an annual event.
“As they are learning about new things, that information is going to be extended to their homes. So they are already multiplying even within their homes. Giving our girls the opportunity to be able to say, ‘I did that. I created something. I learned a new skill’ is really important. You can not dream what you have not seen,” she stated.
In her remarks, the Operations Lead, Project Manager/ Programme Coordinator of the GEM Initiative, Chisom Ukachukwu, explained that the beneficiaries were selected through an open call, with girls and young women within the stipulated age bracket invited to apply through social media.
She disclosed that the programme was currently self-funded, with the bulk of the funding provided by the foundation’s founder, while partners supported the initiative by subsidising their services.
On plans to take the initiative to the grassroots, Ukachukwu said, “The foundation has already begun reaching girls in underserved communities and would expand the programme to more communities.”
She recalled that the foundation visited a riverine community during the Children’s Day celebration in May, where girls were trained in liquid soap production.
According to her, one of the beneficiaries received materials to start a business and subsequently launched Tokwe Pure Essentials.
“That was where the seed for the GEM Initiative was planted, seeing what could become when you open up opportunities to girls”.
Ukachukwu explained that the two-week programme combined theoretical lessons with practical skills training. She listed the theory sessions to include mindset and identity, personal development, career development, leadership and community impact, health and wellness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
She added that “ The practical component covered Ankara crafts and liquid soap making for all participants, while the girls chose between hairmaking and baking as specialised skills. About 20 participants opted for baking.
“The digital skills were incorporated into the programme, with participants introduced to artificial intelligence, including its ethical use in generating images and videos, as well as graphic design using Canva. We are in a digital era, so a programme like this without digital skills is almost not complete,” she said.
She stressed that the training was hands-on, allowing participants to practise the skills they were taught and produce items during the programme.
On her part, the Programme Manager and General Program Director of the foundation, Mrs Ekei Uta-Nwa Okafor, said the foundation planned to replicate the GEM Initiative in selected rural communities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones from next year.
According to her, “We plan that by next year, the GEM Initiative, exactly as it was done here, will be replicated in selected rural communities. We already have partner organisations that we are going to work with.
“The GEM Initiative is designed to equip girls and young women with practical skills, leadership and personal development knowledge, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and digital skills, while creating a support network to sustain their growth after the training.”
Beneficiaries speak
One of the beneficiaries, who simply gave her name as Chidinma, said baking emerged as her biggest takeaway from the programme, adding that she joined the initiative because of its focus on empowering girls and the opportunities it offered participants to develop skills that could shape their futures.
“I enjoyed the sessions. It empowers us for many things. I find baking more interesting,” the 16-year-old said.
Similarly, 17-year-old Wanda Annabel said she joined the programme to acquire new skills and become the best version of herself.
“I’m here to learn new skills and to be the best version of myself. I am going to take hairmaking because it has been something I wanted to learn since I was young,” she said.
Beyond the practical skill, Annabel said the programme had strengthened her determination to continue learning and develop her creativity.
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