In continuation of its vision, passion to eradicate poverty in families especially vulnerable women in Oshodi-Isolo II under the Federal Constituency of Hon. Barr. J. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, the HOJ Foundation has handed over sewing machines and other start-up tools for self-employment and reliability after training. The initiative which started three years ago was designed to reduce unemployment, and improve the living standard of vulnerable women and their children. Since inception, many women have benefited and their stories changed for the better.
Before the handover tools to those women, experts from the banking sector, digital space, entrepreneurs etc. were invited to train the women how they can access funds to start small, and other businesses they can venture into.
The HOJ Foundation and Voices of Hope which tagged the programme, ‘Becoming Women’s Conference & Empowerment with theme: “Empowering Women to Lead, Build and Prosper, was supported by Onga and others.
In a media chat during the empowerment exercise, Hon.J. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, a member representing Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency, Lagos and Founder, HOJ Foundation said, “My foundation has been to empower, train and source women because a nation that trains their women is a nation that grows. The moment a woman is trained, you have empowered a nation. The moment a woman is empowered, you have empowered the kids. So it is an opportunity for us to bring women together and enjoy that they be part of our empowerment”.
Hon. Onuakalusi said, “It’s something that was started about three years ago where we gather women together, train them in soap making, fish farming, computer training, sewing machines, empower them, and give them start-up capital. So it is an opportunity to train women and to make them great. And I must say that whenever you train a woman, it makes her big and it makes her training other people. So that’s why we focus on women to ensure that we train women and to make them great”.
In addition, Executive Director, HOJ Foundation, Convener, Voices of Hope and Becoming Women’s Conference & Empowerment, Mrs Uchenna Ofomata said, “We have a community of women. We also found out that a lot of them are vulnerable, so we decided to help them become better versions of themselves. And that is the whole essence of this programme”.
Ofomata said further that a lot of women are shying away from a lot of things they can naturally do. “Most women don’t really know the giants in them because they do not really believe in themselves. So this programme is to really help them know that they can become better versions of themselves. At the same time, we’re also empowering some women who have gone through skill acquisition.
Continuing, Ofomata said, “We initiated the skill acquisition because we want many of the vulnerable women to stop being liabilities, but start contributing to the community and society. So for them to do that, they need to be empowered, and that is what we are doing. We appreciate Lagos State Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. They have a centre at Ejibo, where these women went for skill acquisition training. And part of our achievements is that today, a lot of them are making money to help their families after the training”.
In the same vein, another participant, who taught the women on how to expand their business and make money from social media, the CEO, Life Changing Sales Academy, Toyin Akan said, “One strong message I want women to take home is to be resilient and never give up. When you have that mindset that you have to be resilient and never give up, you will definitely get the results that you are looking for”.
