The United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) has partnered with a Non-governmental organization, Action Health Incorporated (AHI) to train 300 girls on computer literacy and local cap making (Zanna).
Speaking during the graduation ceremony on Friday in Maiduguri, the Executive Director of AHI, Adenike Esiet, said the beneficiaries were adolescent girls living at the Internally Displaced Persons camp’s at the El-Badawi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri.
Esiet said the graduates comprised 200 trained in local cap (Zanna) making while 100 were trained in computer literacy and coding.
Esiet said the 200 girls who graduated in cap making were given start-up packages containing materials for five caps to sustain their business, while the 100 computer learners, still in school, would be given certificates.
She noted that the research conducted in the camp by AHI on sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of adolescent girls and young women in the camp necessitated such support as part of measures to address the challenges.
Esiet said other measures taken to address the challenges included reaching out to 2,300 adolescent girls and young women with Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) information and services.
“We also engaged husbands and female partners to improve acceptance of SRH services and mitigate Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the camp,” Esiet said.
She lauded Borno Government, trainers, parents, and leaders in the camp for their support towards the success of the AHI program.
The Borno State Government, through the director, of Women Affairs, Falmata Hamza, lauded the intervention of AHI in supporting the vulnerable in Borno and assured it of government collaboration at all times.
Hamza advised beneficiaries of the empowerment programs by AHI to embrace a saving culture to generate capital to further boost their businesses.
