The Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development has graduated 140 adolescent women and girls trained in vocational and life skills .
The graduation and exhibition, held at All Saints House, Permit Estates, Adebayo, Ado-Ekiti, attracted the beneficiaries, their families, stakeholders and representatives of various government ministries.
The event, held under the theme, “Transforming Lives, Empowering Women and Girls for a Sustainable Future,” featured exhibitions of products and skills acquired by the participants during the training.
The programme was implemented under BIGIF’s Women and Girls Empowerment Hub (WIDGES) programme.
Speaking at the event, the Programme Officer of the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development, Miss Ayomiposi Ogundipe, said the organisation designed the WIDGES programme to equip adolescents with practical and life skills that could help them become productive and independent.
She explained that the beneficiaries received training in tailoring, baking and confectionery, arts and crafts, photography and other areas.
Ogundipe disclosed that the beneficiaries began the training in August and that 140 boys and girls graduated from three centres across Ekiti State and Akure. She said the Akure centre had already held its graduation, while the current ceremony celebrated beneficiaries from the two centres in Ekiti State.
She stressed that the programme went beyond vocational training by exposing the adolescents to life skills, mentorship and future planning. According to her, the foundation hopes the beneficiaries will progress to advanced training and eventually turn the skills acquired into income-generating ventures. She cited the example of a beneficiary from the previous year who returned to the programme as a trainer and earned payment for the service she provided.
Ogundipe said the organisation wanted the beneficiaries, who are between 12 and 19 years old, to become economically useful and capable of meeting some of their personal needs through their skills. She explained that the foundation fully funded the initiative as part of its commitment to giving back to society and ensuring that adolescent development goes beyond advocacy to practical empowerment.
One of the beneficiaries, 16-year-old Mariam Adeola, described the programme as motivating, saying she had improved significantly in arts and crafts through her participation. She encouraged other young people to embrace skills acquisition, stressing that learning a skill could create opportunities to make money and build a better future.
Another beneficiary, 16-year-old Boluwatife Grace, described the programme as a life-changing experience that exposed her to practical skills and important lessons in teamwork, goal-setting and future planning.
She urged other young people not to look down on empowerment programmes but to take advantage of every opportunity to acquire useful skills, regardless of their background.
Also speaking, a representative of the Ekiti State Ministry of Health, Miss Adewemimo, commended the initiative, describing it as a valuable opportunity for the girl child.
She said the ministry appreciated programmes that empower young people with knowledge and practical skills, adding that initiatives such as WIDGES could contribute to building a more confident, skilled and productive generation.