Encourage entrepreneurial skills in your wards, cleric urges parents

A cleric and Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society (AIS), Guzape, Abuja, Fuad Adeyemi, has emphasised the need for parents to devote more time to the development of their children to advance a better society.

Adeyemi stated this at the end of a 10-day 12th Teenagers Workshop and intensive holiday camp themed: “Heroes in the making through Entrepreneurial Skills” which was held at the Society’s mosque over the weekend.

He said the workshop was organised to inculcate in the children moral values and develop their entrepreneurial skills through various vocational skills the 80 teenagers were made to go through. He added that the children were carefully segmented into pre-teens and teenagers sections for maximum impact.

“As we all know, the entire world is challenged, everybody is knowledgeable, but there are no morals, no discipline, no home training. Most people are just focused on how to make money, even if it’s immoral and we can’t continue like this.

“This is why we brought our children together for the 12th edition of this workshop. This year, we had about 80 of them in camp and Alhamdulilahi (we thank God), we were able to teach them discipline, morals, and how to supplicate and get things from Allah.

“We also exposed them to entrepreneurial skills for self reliance. We trained them in digital skills such as video editing, graphic design, photography, online business and other skills like baking,” Adeyemi told Tribune Online.

Adeyemi, who frowned on the moral decadence and vices prevalent in the society, however, called on government at all levels, to work with faith-based organisations to get youth development programmes down to the grassroots.

Amir of the camp, Nurudeen Adeleke, in a chat with Tribune Online, described the camp as an eye-opener saying the participants have learned positive things that will make them better individuals and contribute positively to society.

“Alhamdulilah, we are happy for this great opportunity and wish it can even be expanded in subsequent editions. We want to thank the organisers and our parents for this wonderful opportunity and we won’t take it for granted.

“We are happy that we were taught how to pray and introduced to activities that brings us closer to our faith. We were also taught our responsibilities as children to our parents, the family and the society at large.”

The teenagers were taught entrepreneurial skills such as baking, weaving, netting, baking, gift boxes, graphic design, among others, and were also presented with certificates of participation.