From Okwe Obi, Abuja
To reduce the high rate of poverty and illiteracy in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Soho 24 Foundation and Emerging Entrepreneurial Cooperative Society, have trained 100 women on vocational skills and adult literacy.
Founder, Soho 24 Foundation, Amb. Christy Opara, at the graduation ceremony, yesterday, explained that the graduands were drawn from four communities; Jahi, Kado, Kuchi-Kado and Mabushi.
Opara explained that she had over one hundred and fifty students, but only 100 scaled through.
She called on the government to provide financial assistance and start up kits for the graduands.
“The total number of those that graduated is 100. About 50 did not graduate because some things happened.”
She added: “I am here to establish the youth, adult literacy and skills acquisition, to give back to my nation as a way of empowerment.
“This ceremony is the first of its kind. We established it because children were always loitering around and it dawn on me they were not in school and their parents could not afford it. When I asked them they said their parents do not care about them.
“That touched me and I called them and spoke to their parents to help them go to school. With all this in mind we began the programme which is highly sponsored by me.
“Some of these women, before now, did not know how to count money because they lacked financial literacy.”
Speaking on the selection process, she said there was no selection process, adding that, “we made an announcement and walked into the village and spoke to parents.
“Three or four communities are very close to us; Jahi, Kado, Kuchi-Kado and Mabushi.
“The duration is nine months. We support them the way we could.
“We are appealing to the government to come and support because we cannot as an individual, financially support them. Now they are confident to go to school because they can write their names and communicate well,” she said.
