Christian, Muslim youths empowered

Many youths in Lagos are still celebrating after recently acquiring requisite skills to enable them challenge the future. They are still feeling excited even after the curtains had been drawn on the 11th graduation ceremony of the Centre for Vocational Empowerment and Development (CVED) of Dominion Faith International Church (DFIC), Ipaja. A total of 148 students who successfully completed their studies in different skill acquisition programmes were presented with their certificates. The CVED which is an empowerment arm of the DFIC, runs eight different free skill acquisition programmes which include bead making, adult literacy, hairdressing, computer studies, catering, printing, interior decoration and chemical production. The epoch making event attracted attendees such as representatives of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Riskat Akiyode and Chairman, Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area, Coordinator of CVED/Resident Pastor, Olajide Esan; member, CVED Board of Trustee, Rev Gabriel Oyediji and the Registrar of CVED/adult literacy instructor, Pastor Mercy Esan. While the occasion progressed, the elated graduates showered encomium on the church for the opportunity given to them to be partakers in its free skill acquisition programmes. Daily Sun gathered that majority of the beneficiaries of the skill acquisition programmes since its inception were not just members of Dominion Faith International Church, Ipaja alone. Rather, youths and even adults of various faiths who came from far and near had in the past years been part of the programme. During the last edition of the graduation ceremony, among those who received their certificates were Muslims and Christians youths from distant communities in Lagos and Ogun States. CVED’s Executive Director (Admin/Finance), Rev Bamidele Olatona, said he regard the graduation ceremony as a significant phase of development in the actualisation of the centre’s vision to alleviate poverty, raise leaders in the 21st Century imbued with high ethical standards and potential entrepreneurs for the nation and the world at large. “This 11th session of the CVED graduation is unique, being one that has recorded the highest number of graduating students. A total of 148 students have just been graduated from this edition. We are happy to send them out to go and make positively impact in their world,” he explained. Rev Olatona whose speech was read by Pastor Mercy Esan, said CVED was formerly known as Free Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (FEEDS). He noted that in 2007, the church as part of the programme, took the responsibility of providing free lunch for over 300 less privileged persons in the community every Friday. He said: “Having a passion for helping people and the less privileged, fully aware of the fact that we live in a world where basic education has failed to yield the expected positive results and unemployment is the order of the day, the church decided to take the community feeding project to a more advanced level not only by putting food on their table but by giving them free skills to make them self reliant.” According to him, the initiative had since gone international with its introduction in 10 African nations which included Chad, Liberia, Benin Republic, Niger, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea, Togo, Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau. He noted that that over 2,100 persons had been empowered and issued certificates after acquiring the entrepreneurial skills and quality vocational knowledge. In his speech, the resident/coordinating pastor of DFIC, Pastor Esan, described the 21st century as an era where certification as means of self-sufficiency and prosperity was fast fading and being replaced with skill and vocational-oriented certification. Pastor Esan who lauded the DFIC Senior Pastor, Rev David Olatona and his wife, Rev Dele Olatona, for giving back to the community through CVED, said the vocational centre boasted of thousands of graduands who were doing well with the robust skills they acquired. He informed those interested in acquiring skills at the centre that the next entrepreneurial class would start in November, 2013 and would be the last for the year. According to him, the driving force was embedded in the vision of the church which was to connect people to their destines so that they would make positive impact in their communities. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Akiyode, described the initiative which was part of DFIC social responsibility programme as laudable because it had shifted attention from the practice of churches keeping members or residents of the communities on the dole or giving alms to members as a means of poverty alleviation. Mrs. Akiyode said the state government had “employed this pragmatic approach of equipping men, women and youths with needed vocational skills to serve as panacea to unemployment in our depressed economy.” She implored other churches to borrow a leaf from DFIC and complement the government efforts by contributing to the development of people in their respective communities. She gave the 148 graduands tips on how to overcome the current economic hardship in the country by urging them to look beyond white collar jobs, think of what they could do with their hands to earn a living, develop endurance, focus, courage and self discipline in the face of hardship and to develop ‘I can do it’ spirit. Her representative Mrs. Adeniji Olawatoyin, a director in the ministry, explained that the training given to the students would no doubt empower them to be economically independent and to become employers of labour, noting that the DFIC job creation drive was in line with the state policy of empowering women, men and youths through vocational training programmes. The cynosure of all eyes at the graduation ceremony was 11-year-old Omotuyi Funke, who graduated in Computer Appreciation class with 10 others. Funke told Daily Sun that she enrolled in the skill acquisition programme to in order to learn more about Computer programmes such Microsoft, Excel among others. Funke who wants to study Computer Science in the university said the skills she gained would enhance her job hunting after graduation from the university and revealed that the older students in her class did not look down on her as the youngest in their midst. The graduating students showered encomium on the initiator of the skill acquisition centre, admitting that they had acquired additional skills which they would utilise to add value to the society and the economy. Culled from Sun Newspaper