Vivian Onyebukwa
Recently, the duo of Theresa McGahran, Director of Training and Mentoring for ‘The Imagine Initiative of the Empowerment Institute,’ and her colleague, Danica MacAvoy, Director of Strategic Planning and Development were on a working visit to Nigeria.
The Imagine Initiative extended its reach to Nigeria through its Country Director, Mrs. Busayo Obisakin, a Psychologist in the Guidance & Counselling Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University.
The event, entitled: ‘Imagine: Creating an Empowered Future for Nigerian Women,’ was held at the Starfire Hotel, GRA Ikeja.
The Imagine Initiative, a New York-based empowerment institute, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that empowers women in challenging life circumstances in developing world countries through training. This training programme has been successfully applied over the past 30 years in more than 40 countries worldwide, including Nigeria.
In her welcome address, Theresa McGahran explained that the purpose of their visit was to showcase the impact of the current Nigerian partners as well as introduce the plans for scaling the Imagine Initiative.
Narrating her experiences on the empowerment programme, McGahran said: “When I was going for the empowerment training in 2010, I was battling with the problem of high blood pressure due to the financial pressure and other challenges that weighed heavily on my mind at that time and were giving me sleepless nights. I was still very young and shouldn’t have such a problem. But in the course of the empowerment training, I learnt that my focusing on the problem would not solve it, but focusing on the solution would. And so I developed series of visions for myself. Since I came back, I have kept growing in that vision, focusing on solutions and being positive minded. Interestingly, my health has also improved greatly. Today, no matter how bad things are, it hardly affects me. The workshop has really helped shape my life, my career and marriage.”
Also speaking, Danica MacAvoy, Director of Strategic Planning and Development of The Imagine Initiative, said they intended to engage Nigerian women through the workshop, thereby empowering them to live purpose-driven and fulfilling lives, even in the face of challenges and cultural barriers.
Busayo Obisakin Founder of Women’s Inspiration Development Centre (WIDC), stated that the empowerment Institute has helped to shape her life. She added that the transformation she experienced at the empowerment institute in New York was what inspired her to start WIDC at Ile-Ife, Osun State.
“I wanted to help women rise above poverty because I discovered that a lot of women have suffered one form of violence or the other. This is the reason why Imagine Initiative seeks to empower women in challenging life circumstances.”
Other local non-profits partners such as “Women Initiative For Sustainable Environment” (WISE) led by Ms. Olanike Olubunmi Olugboji, and ‘Girls’ Voices Initiative’ led by Mrs. Carolyn Seaman, were also present.
The event also had in attendance representatives of Women-led NGOs in Lagos State who equally shared their own experiences.
Ms. Olugboji recounted how, as a certified trainer, she has been able to help many hapless women navigate through their marital, financial and emotional problems. Dr. Makanjuola Obisakin said the empowerment workshop was equally imperative for Nigerian men in order to empower them to develop proper self esteem and team spirit. He recalled how through the workshop, many men have been inspired and empowered to become better husbands, fathers, friends and also successful professionals and businessmen.
One of the current apprentices of the Imagine Initiative, Mrs. Aramide Oikelome of Bestspring Foundation noted that the reason many empowerment projects fail is because it is solely based on financial or physical empowerment. She cautioned that the first form of empowerment should be agency-focused, saying this will give women proper perspective to life and equip them with the mental and emotional strength to create the kind of lives they want for themselves.
The meeting also afforded participants the opportunity to ask questions on how Imagine Initiative could reach the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to impact and empower more women to truly find fulfilment.