From Idris Khalid, Bauchi
The Girl Child Values Support Initiative (GCVSI) has commenced a six-month training programme for 50 girls, including persons with disabilities and survivors of Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), in technology- and environment-related skills as part of efforts to promote self-reliance, economic independence and reduce their vulnerability to gender-based violence (GBV) in Bauchi State.
The training, organised under the initiative’s “Tech Girls for Environmental Sustainability” programme, exposed the beneficiaries to various fields, including application development, electronics, solar agriculture, 3D printing and waste recycling.
Speaking on the programme yesterday, the project manager, Tech Girls for Environmental Sustainability, Sadisu Yau Ibrahim, said the initiative was designed to equip girls with practical and future-oriented skills that would enable them to become economically independent.
He said the training would help the beneficiaries develop the confidence and financial independence required to stand on their own and become less vulnerable to gender-based violence.
“The aim of this training is for the girls to be empowered in such a way that they will fend for themselves. They will be able to stand on their own and not rely on anyone,” Ibrahim said.
According to him, economic empowerment is an important component of efforts to address gender-based violence, as women and girls with relevant skills and sources of income are better positioned to make independent decisions and respond to challenges.
He said the programme also seeks to promote skills acquisition, environmental sustainability, self-reliance and economic empowerment among girls.
Ibrahim added that the initiative was designed to enable young women to develop practical solutions to challenges in their communities, including gender-based violence.
“We are seeing young people actively engaging with the issue of gender-based violence and creating meaningful solutions from different angles. It is inspiring to witness,” he said.
He said the initiative would continue to provide training opportunities for more girls after the completion of the current batch.
Also speaking, one of the instructors, Engineer Nasiru Abdussalam, said the technical training would provide the beneficiaries with opportunities to explore careers and businesses in technology and other emerging sectors.
He said the programme also placed emphasis on environmental sustainability through training in areas such as waste recycling and solar agriculture.
Abdussalam said the initiative would be expanded to accommodate more girls after the current beneficiaries complete their training.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Fatima Abdullahi, Maimuna Aliyu Gwaram, Iyanda Yousroh, Zakky Marry and Alheri Kefas, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the programme.
They said the training had exposed them to new skills and created opportunities for them to pursue economic independence.
The beneficiaries also commended the Women Wing and the Girl Child Values Support Initiative for providing them with practical skills they could apply to improve their livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
