UNICEF and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have trained 1,080 adolescent girls in tailoring and hairdressing in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the training, funded by UNICEF, was initiated to help girls exposed to violence, abuse, and neglect.
Gerida Birukila, the Chief of the UNICEF Field Office in Kaduna, who was represented by the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dr Wilfred Mamah, explained at the graduation ceremony that “the advent of COVID-19 brought the reality to light, where UNICEF found out that a lot of Almajiri and adolescent girls were on the streets.”
She said a primary research by UNICEF revealed that 107,000 girls in Kaduna were out of school and without skills.
Based on the girls’ expressed need for vocational skills, UNICEF launched the training program in collaboration with local communities.
“We are able to document 107,000 adolescent girls out of school and have nothing to do. They were exposed to physical, sexual and emotional violence.
“We went around asking questions on what the girls really want, and many of them were asking for skills acquisition. They said if they will be trained in tailoring and hairdressing, it will give them opportunity to perform.”
The training included educating the girls about their rights and how to protect themselves from abuse.
NOA’s Kaduna Director, Malam Hamisu Abubakar, noted that 50 community leaders were trained to strengthen child protection services. Sabon Tasha community was chosen for the training due to its suitable facilities and supportive leadership.
The project aimed to create safe spaces and provide life skills for out-of-school girls. The successful completion of the two-month training was celebrated with a graduation ceremony, which included traditional dances, a fashion parade, and certificate distribution.
Community leaders and beneficiaries, including Exceptional Abel and Sarah Solomon, expressed gratitude to UNICEF, pledging to use their new skills for livelihood improvement.
NAN reports that highpoints of the event were traditional dances, fashion parade and issuance of certificates to the adolescent girls
(NAN).
