The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) have empowered 49 female internally displaced persons (IDPs) by training them in various skills. The economic empowerment training for the female IDPs, drawn from five camps in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja – Durumi, Kuje, New Kuchingoro, Orozo, and Wassa camps – was aimed at enhancing the beneficiaries’ vocational skills in such areas as catering, sewing, hairdressing, knitting, bead and jewelry making, tie and dye, food preservation, and confectionary.
Whereas the training and supervision was conducted by NCWD, UNHCR provided the funds for feeding, the purchase of starter kits, and start-up cash support. For the training. The trainees smiled home with such starter kits like measuring scales, sets of big coolers, cake mixers and other tools for the catering and confectionery classes; sewing machines, seam rippers, dry irons, and other tailors’ working tools for the sewing group; hand dryers, hair dryers, and hair rollers, among others for the hairdressing group; knitting machines, yeye yarns, measuring tape, knitting spool, and others, for the knitting class.
Other starter kits were bead boards, sets of beading pliers, wonder knitter, French knitters, assorted crystal beads, and sand end covers, among others, for the bead and jewelry making group; thick 200 litre plastic drum for soap mixing, tables with attached cutters for soap production, graters for detergent production, weighing scales, factory boots, eye protectors, and nose masks, among others, for the house hygiene products class; sewing machines, ironing logs, eye protectors, nose masks, hand gloves, stoves, and pairs of scissors, among others, for the tie and dye group; as well as customized aprons, napkins, and coveralls with UNHCR and NCWD logos and inscription of project title.
The closing ceremony of the 14-day well-packaged and intensive residential skill acquisition training programme for female IDPs held at the premises of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Abuja, on 23 December, chaired by the Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan and witnessed by UNHCR and NCWD.
In her opening remark, the Director-General of NCWD, Lady Onyeka Onwenu gave glory to God for making the programme a success, and hailed UNHCR for strongly supporting the initiative. She said UNHCR had high expectations on the success of the training programme, and NCWD met those expectations. She expressed deep satisfaction that UNHCR and NCWD were able to equip the IDPs, whose hopes of ever reintegrating into the society had virtually been dashed, saying that now they could live and lead meaningful lives again. Mrs. Onyeka, fondly called the “Lady of Song,” disclosed to the trainees that UNHCR and NCWD had taken a commitment to continue to stand by them, come what may.
Mr. Allehone Abebe, Senior Protection Officer, who represented UNHCR Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said that the women were instrumental in the empowerment of victims of insurgency as a whole and the fight against insecurity in Nigeria. He expressed joy that the entire lofty training programme was designed and implemented by Nigerian women, thereby making the African continent proud.
While pledging that UNHCR will continue to support such humanitarian programmes, Mr. Abebe hoped that the recent agreement between UNHCR and NCWD will see greater fruits in the months and years ahead. He also commended the Nigerian government for the support it was rendering to humanitarian actors for the empowerment of victims of insurgency in the country, even as he congratulated the trainees upon their successful training and called on them to put into proper use the skills and start-up packages they had received.
Meanwhile, Hajia Zainab Ibrahim, who represented the Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, described the ceremony as “a special occasion not just for the beneficiaries of the project but also for the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the National Centre for Women Development and the collaborating partners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to see the fruition of a concept that took so much commitment and planning to achieve.”
While hailing NCWD and UNHCR for initiating and funding the noble project of building the capacities and confidence of the IDPs and reassuring them that they really are not alone in the face of their predicaments, Mrs Zainab congratulated the beneficiaries for successfully going through the training. She saluted them for their courage, perseverance and determination in choosing to move on with their normal lives so as to support their families and loved ones.
While stating that the training served as inspiration to all Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of insurgency, the minister’s representative expressed the Nigerian government’s appreciation for all the support the UNHCR has been giving to the IDPs and collaborating with the NCWD to train the IDPs.
She urged the trainees to put into practice what they had learnt and make good use of the equipment made available to them change their lives, and those of their loved ones. Highlights of the ceremony, moderated by Princess Jummai Idonye, Director, Training and Development, NCWD, included the singing of the National Anthem and women anthem, a projection of Lay Onyeka Onwenu’s IDP song, “Not Alone,” a special number by Wassa IDPs, presentation of UNHCR starter kits and start-up envelopes to smiling trainees, and visit of exhibition stands.
Preceding the training, UNHCR and the NCWD signed an MoU which is a framework for support to IDPs, refugees and other persons of concern in Nigeria. The two organizations have also partnered in producing the song, “Not Alone” in support of IDPs, refugees and other persons of concern in the country.
