The Non Governmental Organization(NGO) notable for training, scholarship and empowerment of people living with disabilities unveiled the Skill-up program on Thursday in Benin City,Edo State.
Speaking,the Executive Director of NAPVID, Bar Melody Omosah said, the program is borne out of the fact that they recognized that people with disabilities stand the chance of making a difference in the society,if they are empowered and an enabling environment created.
He said, “In 2021,the Network for Advancement of People Living With Visible Disabilities entered a partnership with the Edo State Government and since February,2021 the Edo State Government has been supporting our programs. On 29th May,2021. NAPVID launched a program known as NAPVID HELP Project which is to focus on Health, Education,Livelihood and Palliative for indigent persons with disabilities,it is targeted to reduce vulnerability and to ensure that people with disabilities will be able to be stabilized and to contribute to the society. This is coming in the eve of our HELP Project where we are focusing with livelihood and empowering people with skills and setting them up to start businesses of their own. People with handwork have been set- up to be on their own and a good number of them are doing well.
“We have done much on education, where we have given scholarship to pupils in primary school, students in secondary school and also in higher Institutions. Our focus today is on people with skills. We have decided to help people with disabilities to acquire skills,the fact that you have gone through school and acquired certificates and you have not gotten your dream job should not be the end of life,we have designed various skills like shoe making,bag making, fashion designing,perfume making,content creating,computer,iron fabrication and others for people with disabilities to make a choice suitable for them. Anyone with disability can enroll for any one of his or her choice.”
Also, speaking the first lady of Edo State,Mrs Besty Obaseki, represented by Hon Godsent Erhunmwunse said the opportunity is a unique one because it is helping to remind everyone that one is not disable because he or she has physical disabilities,but rather that the person has nothing positive to contribute to the growth of the society. “We are here to remind ourselves that in the 21 Century disability has been redefined and not what we think,I want to challenge us on the behalf of Her Excellency to begin to see ourselves in a new perspective and the culture of which we think about ourselves. We must not allow our physical disabilities affect our self esteem. I want to make bold to say that in the 21century disability is no longer one or two issues we have with our physical body. You are not disabled because you are on the wheelchair or because your are visually impaired or because you have hearing impairment, but because you are empty and does not have anything to offer. We must begin to see yourself from what is inside you and not to price ourselves cheaply. You are not disabled because you have issues with your leg or eyes,but because you are not contributing anything to the society.” He said
One of the participants,Racheal Ewemade, a graduate of Laboratory Technology from Auchi Polytechnic, said she is happy because it will help her get a shop in order to be her own boss, after being trained in shoe making.
“I am happy to be one of the participants today. I am learning shoe making and that will enable me be own my own after the training.” She said.
