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A non-governmental organisation, Chrysolite Foundation, has empowered some children and young people in Isale Osun community in Ibadan North East local government area of Oyo State with skills and business tips that will enable them to set up small-scale businesses.
The Founder and Executive Director of the foundation, Esther Mbabie, noted that this was the third year since 2020 that they have reached out to the community.
“We know the community. They always welcome us,” Mbabie said. “There is nothing better than a place and people who need help and are ready to be helped.”
The leader of the community, Chief Sikiru Agboola Lawal, was happy that such empowerment happened in his community. He said the exercise will encourage the children to discover their talents and set a good example for other people and organisations to follow.
The youth leader of the community, Taiwo Olatubosun, appreciated the foundation for deeming it fit to reach out to them. He stated that the empowerment exercise was apt because the children and young people needed it to acquire basic skills to support themselves and their families.
Mbabie stressed that the motivation behind the programme was seeing people comfortable, having basic education and skills, and impacting their communities positively.
She noted that the skills empowerment programme is an annual event, and that in previous years, they have empowered children in other communities.
She added that this year’s version of the Isale Osun empowerment is its maiden edition and children and young people, aged 5 – 27 years, were taught for six weeks under the supervision of the volunteers of the foundation.
According to her, they taught the children four skills: tie and dye (adire) making; upcycling − converting abandoned tires into stools and tables; crochet –creating textiles using hooks and threads; and production of ankara books and journals.
Mbabie added that after the six-week exercise, successful beneficiaries were given some materials and packages to start basic things for their businesses.
The tutors and volunteers, who taught the children, were: Victoria Ayodele and Ololade Olatunde (for crochet), Precious Adediji (for tie and dye), Eniola Ajayi (for upcycling), and Doyinsola Owolabi (ankara crafts).
The Head of Programmes of the foundation, Chibueze Okechukwu, explained why the children were taught the skills. He said it was because they were easy to make, beneficial to their environment, and did not require huge capital to set up.
“In between, we organised seminars for them. Partnering with an environmental sustainability NGO, The AID NG, we taught them about the dangers of indiscriminate disposal of wastes,” Okechukwu said.
One of the volunteers, who is an entrepreneur, Ayodele Olatubosun, in the course training, taught the children how to scale and manage a business, how to face challenges in a business, and how to make it profitable.
“Since they now have basic business ideas and handwork, we taught them how to identify the right people and places they can sell their wares, and always how to calculate their profits so that they can sustain their businesses,” Olatubosun said.
Some of the children and their parents expressed their joy and satisfaction with the training and exhibition of works from the training.
Oladosun Khaleed (12 years old), Sanusi Korede (14 years old), Taofeek Fathia (13 years old), Halimat Adeagbo (young adult), and many more, said the skills and business tips they have learnt will help them pick more interest in the vocations and development them into things that can help them earn money.
After the exhibition of the children’s works, there was a trade fair where the works were sold.
Founder of the foundation, Mbabie, stated that the funds raised at the fair will contribute towards setting up an empowerment centre in Isale Osun community and in expanding the next editions of the programme so that more children will be accommodated and trained.
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