NGO empowers teenage girls in Cross River

In its effort to accelerate the development of communities by providing girls and young mothers access to employable trades, non-profit organisation known as Girls Leading Africa (GLA) has completed training of 21 girls in Odukpani local government area of Cross River.

Organisers of the program noted that it was a deliberate way of giving back to the community and helping young girls affected by social ills gain vocational training, confidence in financial management, and long-term sustainable solutions to increase their economic opportunities and reduce unemployment and poverty.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of cohort 3, where these teenagers were trained in three main skills, which include computer operation, pastry making, and tailoring for 12 months, GLA Board Member, Oluwafunmilola Ojo said they aim to impact the lives of girls in rural communities, as most girls in rural areas are deprived of empowerment. 

“It’s a way of giving back to the community. This is an avenue for us to reach out to people in the rural area because most development work doesn’t reach here, in the rural area you might not be visible but the impact will be felt by the community. 

“A lot of people from cohort 1 and 2 are already making money and feeding their families and it’s something that we are happy about. I will advise parents to release their female children for this kind of initiative. 

The founder and Executive Director of Girls Leading Africa, Miss Gift Umo maintained that the core values of the organisation were resilience, focus, and deliberate action while advising them to imbue the spirit of gratitude for the support received from GLA and sacrifices made by their families.

In a valedictory speech delivered by one of the graduates, Eme Okon noted that this year’s theme “Roots and Wings: Empowering Young Women in Rural Communities to soar” reflects their journey at Girls Leading Africa.

She commended all GLA facilitators and staff for their tireless efforts and expressed her appreciation to the sponsor and the Board of Trustees for the kind gesture.

On her part, Admin Finance Officer, GLA, Nkoyo Effiong disclosed that the NGO spends more money on fuel especially to ensure the computer training classes hold for one full year.

“We spend more money buying fuel, I came and met that the community has not had light for years, so we run fuel everyday for the girls to learn.

“We have gotten the necessary support that we need from the rural dweller, especially from the Head of Okoyong community, the Kabenta, this is his premises he voluntarily gave it out for us to use, so I can say we have enjoyed 100% support from him and other community members.”

One of the best-graduating students (Tailoring School), Elizabeth Asuquo, expressed appreciation to the NGO for the gesture and pledged to make judicious use of both the training and the equipment given to her.

The climax of the ceremony was the awarding of certificates and start-up gifts to the best graduates of tailoring, catering, and computer schools.