WIMBIZ takes Big Sisters programme to secondary school girls in Ibadan

A non-governmental oganisation, Women in Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) in its effort to equip and empower young Nigerians girls with life skills has trained and groomed over 200 public secondary school girls in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The training programme, being carried out simultaneously in three schools in Ibadan last  Wednesday; People’s Girls Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, Yejide Girl’s Grammar School, Molete Ibadan, St, Annes Schools, Ibadan was anchored through its Big Sisters Programme (BSP).

According to the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mrs Funmi Roberts, WIMBIZ had the pilot edition in Lagos last year and her team successfully trained 1500 young secondary school girls, adding that the beneficiaries of the programme are mentored by accomplished female professionals in various fields, who are committed to the development of the girl-child.

Speaking further she said, the Big Sisters Programme was designed by the executive council of WIMBIZ, while the Australia High Commission having seen the success that was recorded in Lagos gave a grant to run it in order parts of the country.

She noted: “The programme is going to run in six states in Nigeria. What we do is, we identify accomplished women in each state and do a training for them with our manual on what they are going to be delivering to the girls when they go to the secondary schools.”’

“We partner with Ministry of Education in each state and they identify the schools that we go to because we don’t have the fund to visit all the schools. So, few weeks before the programme commences we would have identified women of substance in the state, women who have been there and seen it all to tap into the experience.”

“The big sisters are not here to teach the core subjects, but life enhancing skills that would boost their confidence and build their leadership capacity, there by preparing them for post secondary education.

The executive director, WIMBIZ, Miss Mosun Layode, while speaking on the vision of WIMBIZ said it is to be catalyst that elevates the status and influence of women and their contributions to nation building.

She noted also that the motive behind the Big Sisters Programme is to catch school girls young because they are the future, saying “everybody needs a big sister, and there is need for mentorship in the life of everybody. Every girl needs a woman hand-hold her and to prepare her for now and the future. There is no pint repeating mistakes or leaving people to walk a lonely path.”

One of the women facilitators, Mrs  Bisi Yomi-Layinka, while speaking on the topic: Personal Hygiene and Grooming  advised the students to embrace cleanliness and maintain a very good hygiene for a good self esteem, as well as make new friends with worthy values.

Earlier, while addressing the students, the permanent secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola, had  encouraged them to be courageous life, especially so as to become great, saying “there is height you cannot attain in life, even as a girl-child.”