Women and girls who once had little hope of acquiring formal education or vocational skills now have a fresh chance at self-reliance following the graduation of 21 trainees from a one-year empowerment programme in the Akpap-Okoyong community, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Empowerment Initiative Challenges Societal Norms
Speaking at the 2025 graduation ceremony, Emem Otu said the initiative was driven by the need to challenge societal beliefs that educating the girl-child is unnecessary or limited to domestic roles. According to her, many girls in rural communities are often exposed to early pregnancy and dependency because they lack opportunities to acquire education or practical skills that can help them become financially independent.
She noted that empowering young women with vocational and digital skills would not only improve their confidence but also help them support themselves and their families while contributing positively to society.
Programme Organised by Girls Leading Africa
The empowerment programme was organised by Girls Leading Africa, a women-led non-profit organisation founded by Gifty Umo, to support vulnerable and abandoned girls through skill acquisition and mentorship, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment. Otu, who represented the founder at the ceremony, said the organisation remained committed to ensuring that girls in underserved communities are not left behind.
Training and Graduation Details
One of the facilitators, Nkoyo Efiong, said the girls underwent free training for one year in tailoring, catering, hairdressing and computer studies before their graduation. She disclosed that 39 girls were enrolled at the start of the programme, of whom 21 completed the training successfully. Efiong said many of the beneficiaries had been idle at home due to financial and family challenges that prevented them from attending school or learning a trade.
According to her, the programme, now in its fifth cohort, has continued to provide practical training materials and follow-up support to enable graduates to establish themselves after training, adding that over N10 million was spent on the programme within the one-year training period.
Valedictory Speech Encourages Graduates
Delivering the valedictory speech, Endurance urged her fellow graduates to continue improving themselves and to use their skills to solve societal problems, saying the training had equipped them with the resilience and problem-solving skills needed for the future.
