A total of 35 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bwari Area Council Camp in Abuja, have graduated from a skill acquisition programme organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Likeminds Projects in partnership with Youth Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (YELP).
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Bwari Emir’s palace, yesterday co-ordinator for Likeminds Projects, Mr. Meekam Mgbenvelu, said the gesture was to make IDPs to be self-reliant.
“We felt that there is need for this kind of intervention. There are young people who were affected by insurgency in the IDP camps that need to be given skills so that they will have opportunity to live decent lives,” he said.
He said their goal was to ensure that the youth have hope and means of livelihood in the country.
The co-ordinator said they ran the programme over a six weeks period and provided transport money, lunch and other incentives for the participants.
One of the participants, Maryam Amadu from Gwoza village in Borno State, who had learnt basket making, art and craft and shoemaking, thanked the organisers for empowering her.
