Foundation, others empower women, youths on entrepreneurial skills

Hope Builders Skill Development and Acquisition Foundation in collaboration with other non-governmental organisations have empowered over 1000 women and youths in rural areas on various entrepreneurial skills.

The NGOs which include, Hall of Fame Academy (HFA), Diligent Hands International (DHI), Women and Children with Disability Initiative (WACDI), Virgina Empowerment Foundation (VEF), Glowing Splints Development Initiative (GSDI) and Organisation for Non-Formal Education (ONFE), empowered the women and youths through its Community Empowerment Opportunities (CEO) initiative.

The initiative, which is a vocational outreach to rural communities, with the aim of making citizens self-reliant to contribute to the development of the economy, witnessed women and youths in Baruwa, a community in Lagos trained in photography, catering, shoe making, make ups, wig making, turban and fascinators, among other trades.

The Executive Director of Hope Builders Foundation, Folayemisi Adu, said entrepreneurs are the bedrock of any nation, which is why the initiative is targeted at training women and youths to be business owners and contribute towards the growth of the society.

She said the foundation, which was founded in 2013, to train and raise entrepreneurs decided to partner with the six NGOs to pull resources together, bringing in expertise to ensure people in the rural communities are empowered, which according to her is where the bulk of the country’s population dwells.

“With a lot of enlightenment we can reach the people because entrepreneurs, regardless of where they are located contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation’s economy,” she said.