Kunle Adelabu
In its effort to create access for learning to empower the youths, Atlas Initiatives has empowered 60 youths in Ikorodu through 3D Epoxy and leadership trainings.
The closing ceremony and presentation of certificates of participation to participants of the empowerment programme, which held at the office of the Virgin Pride Network along Igbogbo – Ipakodo road on Wednesday (yesterday), witnessed the display of what the trainees have been able to learn during the month-long training.
Aside the 3D Epoxy training, participants of the Atlas Initiatives training were also exposed to leadership, civic, financial and other trainings.
The Executive Director and Co – founder of the Atlas Initiatives and former Lagos Youth Ambassador, Mr Habeeb Balogun, speaking at the event which was attended by dignitaries and some of the parents of the trainees, said that the Non – profit making body was set up in 2017 to provide access to learning to youths.
He stated that the group is achieving its plan to create access to learning for the youths through its Elite project which he said was designed to train, equip and empower the youths, especially girls.
“We are concerned about the gap between many youths without access to information and training and few that have. This is what we have been able to identify and we are doing everything to fill the void”, he said.
“We have organized a month intensive training programme for 60 youths on 3D Epoxy art and also engaged them on leadership, civic and financial education.
“Before the training, some of the participants thought Epoxy art is only meant for interior decorations, but we have been able to make them understand that it is much more than that. It goes beyond what they know about it and that they can earn a living through the art.
“It was an innovative project for youths which also engaged them in civic education, business planning, financial discipline, investment and others.
“Today, we are going to provide them with certificate of participation”.
Princess Folashade Olabanji – Oba, the Vice Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government who was a special guest at the occasion, in her speech, commended the initiative which she described as timely and the effort to make Ikorodu youths adequately prepared for the increasingly challenging global world.
“It is always important to give lending hands to those in need. That is what this is all about” she said.
“Ikorodu is blessed with thousands of active and positive youths but they need to be engaged and empowered. A project like this will help them develop their skills and make themselves to able to compete with their counterparts in any part of the world”, she added.
Princess Oba, who described the training as a means for participants to take charge of their future, also charged them to use the knowledge acquired in contributing meaningfully to Ikorodu.
“This is part of taking charge and to achieve, you must be positively engaged and have financial independence. As youths, you need to start planning for the future”, she charged them.
“It is commendable that you (beneficiaries) are part of this training by sparing your time to learn.
“I charge you to use the knowledge acquired to propagate Ikorodu to the world by impacting on others and through that, develop human resources in Ikorodu and make them productive by optimizing them”.
Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Luqman Shonibare, the Chiarman, Community Development committee of the Ikorodu Local Government, said that the abundant talents in Ikorodu are being put into good use.
He charged leaders to create an enabling environment for the youths to gradually take charge in the community.
He also commended the organizers, saying that trainings, such as Elites project, will positively engage youths and make them responsible to themselves and society at large.
“Programme like this is very commendable because it will make our youths to be developed and empowered. It is only with this, that they can be able to contribute to the community”, the community activist said.
“I commend you for empowering our youths and making them employers of labour because they no longer have to look for job considering the kind of trainings they have been exposed to in the last month”.
Alhaji Shonibare also appealed to the organizers to always carry along the CDC in their subsequent programmes so that youths in the interior parts of Ikorodu can also be made available to benefit.
Mrs Ekechi Odebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Pride Network, lkorodu, in her own speech, described the training by the Atlas Initiatives as the best youth programme that she has witnessed so far.
“This the best youth programme that I have seen so far. The spirit is very strong”, she said.
She charged participants to develop partnership among themselves for business dealings.
“Youth need to start using the spirit of us and change from me alone attitude. You should start working together as a team because that’s the only way to achieve greater success”, she said while charging the participants to work together”.
Amb. Comfort Olafare, a chieftain of the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM) and a gender activist, also commended the initiative and charged participants to make best use of the opportunity that they have been provided with.
Adekola, a participant, speaking on his experience at the training, thanked the organizers for given him the opportunity to be part of the training.
“We were thought about Epoxy in a very creative ways, as well as financial discipline, budgeting and how to be an active citizen which encourages us to take active participation in the community activities”, he said.
Another participant, Oluwadarasimi Seye, also said that aside the 3D Epoxy, he has also been able to learn about financial discipline, civic education among others.
Salaam Abiodun, in his own remarks, said:
“I did not know anything about 3D Epoxy before, but now, l have been exposed to the art.
“We have also been thought about business skills, customer relation, financial discipline and civic engagements. It was a very interesting training and I want to establish myself in business”, Salaam said.
