No fewer than 4,500 vulnerable youths and women were supported by UNICEF to acquire technical and vocational skills in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Education Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi field office, Mr AbdulRahaman Ibrahim, made this known at the graduation of 1,500 beneficiaries yesterday in Hong.
Ibrahim, who was represented by UNICEF’s Senior Education Facilitator, Mrs Paulina Kigbu, said the 1,500 beneficiaries were the fifth batch in the series of the training programme.
He said the beneficiaries were subjected to training on tailoring; welding; poultry; interlocking, shoes and soap making.
According to him, the project was under KFW2, funded by the Government of Germany and had impacted positively on the beneficiaries.
“This milestone marks a significant achievement in empowering 4,500 youths, young adults, female headed households and other vulnerable people that were affected by insurgency and who cannot go back to formal school due to their current age bracket,” he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Garba Pella, expressed the state’s appreciation to UNICEF and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the training.
Pella noted that the training would transform the lives of the beneficiaries and contribute to the socio-economic development of the state.
He urged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their various places of work where they would be operating not only as self employed, but also as employers of labour in their respective communities.
Similarly, the Acting Executive Secretary, Adamawa Mass Education Board, Maryam Daji, thanked the state government for providing an enabling environment.
Daji, who was represented by the Director Literacy, Mr Emmanuel Adiel, commended the dedication of the trainees and expressed gratitude to partners for their support.
She advised the beneficiaries to take advantage of the skills acquired to become self-reliant for the benefit of all.
However, one of the beneficiaries, Mohammed Bello, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, lauded UNICEF’s efforts in training the vulnerable and appealed to the state government and other partners to help the beneficiaries with starter parks. (NAN
