From Zika Bobby
In a bid to revamp businesses adversely affected by the devastating effects of COVID-19, a non-governmental organisation, Candle Light City Foundation (CALICIF), has mapped out strategies to enhance business restart when the pandemic finally subsides.
The Foundation, through a youth camp workshop scheduled to hold between August 9 and 14, hopes to train and build capacity for 150 youths across the country, for the first phase.
Already, over 1,000 youths and single mothers have benefitted through its empowerment initiative which cut across the entire country.
Speaking with newsmen at its CALICIF headquarters in Ijaniki’s area of Lagos State, the CEO, Edwin Asongwe, said the Foundation has a community vision to foster development in different areas of life.
According to Asongwe, he was inspired to establish the Foundation through the experiences he had in his church, Candle of Anointed Mission, since the mission has a limit to what it can offer in terms of community development.
He said one of their major challenges is seeing people who have skills but lack capital to set up businesses.
Also speaking, International Consultant from Cameroon to the Foundation, Mai Abehche, said the initiative will produce about five million entrepreneurs between now and 2025.
Abehche said with the pandemic, a lot of businesses have been down while capitals have also been affected negatively.
He said the workshop is tailored to educate people on how to go about their businesses and bring them back on track, while also training the youths on skill acquisition, peace and security.
“We are looking forward to spread nationally with the workshop in every states of the federation, including Abuja. The workshop will be to reinforce capacity both of civil society organisations, individual business men and every institution within communities so that life can resume normally. Business capitals were being consumed during lockdown. We will invest in farmers and communities,” Abehche said.