General
Source: Daily Trust
A 17-year-old girl, Nafisa Muhammed, was excited when she received the gift she least expected recently.
After six weeks of learning how to sew at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Durumi, she was amongst the women and girls given a sewing machine and other tools to ply their trade.
Nafisa said she was going to school in her hometown of Gwoza in Borno State until she left there with her siblings due to Boko Haram attacks. They were brought to the camp in Durumi by their uncle. There, hope came alive for them when the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women in collaboration with Hope for All Foundation Trainers came to teach women different skills.
Nafisa, who learnt how to sew, said: "They teach me how to sew and knit and now they gave me a sewing machine. I will begin to sew to get money to help my sisters and brothers. Now, I can teach some of my friends too".
Hajiya Nofisat Arogundade, the Co-cordinator of Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women explains reason for the gesture. "We trained the women in five trades, shoe and bag making, tailoring, soap and pomade making, GSM repairs, beads and jewellery making," she said. "These are things they can do within the confine of their homes when they get home. We have chosen to empower them, so that when they get back home, they can begin a new life. With this, they will be self-employed and earn income. We have given some of them the tools to work with,"she added.
Some of these women are widowed by the insurgency. Are they going to keep relying on relatives and goodwill forever? Women should have something doing to bring income to their family. And when something happens to the husband, they wife will be able to stand."
The Director of Training, Hope for All Foundations Trainers, Roselyn Itodo Alagh, said: "I will give them 65% in proficiency. I am sure they will improve. Some of the trainers have been doing this for the past 10 years so we cannot say people that have been trained for six weeks are perfect, but they are getting there. With consistency they will perfect their skills. For each category, we are graduating, at least, 20 people and empowering 10."
"With the skills they have acquired and tools they have been given, I will advise the women to work hard," she said adding that "From some of the things that were displayed today, we can see how creative they are."
A 24-year-old graduate, Maryam Isah, said with the skills she has acquired, she could be self-reliant. "I believe I can get some money from this," she said. "I hope to help others in the future. I am sure I can transfer the knowledge to other women."
Hajiya Ramatu Sani, the co-coordinator of the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women, said the coalition would encourage the women to sharpen their skills and practise what they have learnt.