YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #110
Friday, December 23, 2016
08078068532
youthville@dailytrust.com
To stay youthful, stay useful. - John Keats
...young att heart
Bauchi to I started Seesah empower Enterprises to fulfil 50,000 a dream — Hafsah Isah Umar, 21, is the only daughter ter of youth on Hafsah her parents. The Sociology and Anthropology pology of Baze University, Abuja started ted education graduate Seesah Enterprises early this year. From Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi About 50,000 youth in Bauchi State are expected to benefit from a youth education empowerment programme initiated by the state government. The Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on Students Affairs, Comrade Aliyu Jibo Dass said this on Wednesday at a sensitization programme for the beneficiaries selected from Bauchi Local Government Area held in Bauchi town. He said the funding is already in the 2017 Appropriation Bill presented recently to the House of Assembly by Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar. Comrade Dass stated that the programme is meant for youth who have already finished their secondary education but cannot further their education. He said students will be given scholarship and called on the beneficiaries to be good and responsible students in their various schools. The Head of Personnel, Bauchi LGA, Kabiru Marafa said the programme will help more youth to enroll into tertiary institutions with priority given to the stateowned university and polytechnic, the Bauchi State University, Gadau and Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP), Bauchi. “Nobody will be given money to pay his/ her fees now. The government will be doing that directly so that the aim of the programme will be achieved,” he added. The beneficiaries lauded the initiative saying it will help to empower them to be able to compete favourably with their colleagues from other states.
By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun & Latifat Opoola @LatifatOpoola
H
afsah said she was motivated to create her fashion line in Nigeria. “I just decided to be the Nigerian Oprah and build up my empire,” she said. Top of her projects are her wristwatch line, handbags, shades, and cosmetics. Hafsah said: “It’s a new business, and so am progressing as I don’t want to do all in one day.” Talking about creating jobs for other youth, the young CEO said she has taken in quite some number of persons to work for her but believes that number would grow higher in 2017. “I would be able to put in more efforts in recruiting more staff to manage the company well,” she said.
Seesah Enterprises as an idea was nurtured with the support of Hafsah’s mother who provided the initial funding for Hafsah described as a capital intensive business. Hafsah said she makes her customized designs of shoes, handbags, perfumes and other personal effects taking after Iman and other global beauty and fashion products,. The tender business is not without challenges. The owner said: “I won’t say I am successful yet because in the past months since starting Seesah Enterprises, I have faced challenges. However, with patience and hard work, I overcame all of them presently.” The young is dreaming big already in expanding her business line. She plans to own malls across strategic places in the country “where it would be
easier for everyone to own a pair of my product.” She is also preparing a platform to empower youth g through her training d arm which should h start in 2017. Hafsah said she would pick youth randomly and teach them about shoemaking, and branding. For other young fellows, the business-er inclined youngster th said a matured youth must always prove to … be independent. “… ld why would a 25 year-old be still waiting for daddy to pay his monthly allowance? This is the time we all need to wake up and groom
ourselves. “Make that dream a reality, everyone started from somewhere. Nothing is impossible and nothing is too small,” she advised.
NDE trains 600 youth on rural employment From Shehu Umar,Gusau The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has trained 600 unemployed youth nationwide under its rural employment promotion programme. The Acting-Director, Mr Kunle Obayan made this known while speaking at the opening ceremony of a three day training on livestock and fish feed production for prospective small-holder cooperative farmers and officials of the directorate. Obayan who was represented by the
Head of Rural Employment Department, Mr Olayinka Joseph said 50 youth were drawn from each of the 12 states selected from the six geo-political zones and were trained in off-season agricultural production. He said the training was aimed at complementing the federal government efforts in attaining self-sufficiency in food production and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “This training was organised considering the recent high cost of livestock and fish feed which has risen so
high that the farmers can hardly afford,” he added. Obayan urged the participants to ensure active participation in the training in order to come up with innovative ideas that can be used to generate sustainable employment among the rural populace. The state NDE Coordinator, Malam Muhammad Alhassan said the programme is timely and is complementing government’s effort despite the present economic challenges in the country.
Nigerian wins Amnesty award for ‘Almajiri’ documentary Nig By Simon E. Sunday Sund @SimonEchew @SimonEchewofun Amnesty In International has awarded prestigiou prize to Nottingham a prestigious T graduate, Temitope Kalejaiye, for a documentar about children trapped documentary in a cycle of poverty and extremist influences as part of the Almajiri ed Islamic education system in Nigeria. film She filmed the document as part co of the coursework for her Masters B in Broadcast Journalism at the Centre for Broadcasting an and Journalism (CBJ), Nottingham Trent
University. The short film, entitled ‘Almajiri is Begging’, scooped the Student award in the annual Amnesty Media Awards, which recognise excellence in human rights reporting and acknowledge journalism’s significant contribution to the UK public’s awareness and understanding of human rights issues. Temitope, who is currently in Nottingham and plans to travel back to her native Nigeria to promote her career, said: “While spending a year in the UK studying for my MA in Broadcast Journalism, I was struck by the absence of children begging for money and food. “Instead of shooting a documentary in the
UK as part of my university project, I opted to travel back to my home town of Yola, Nigeria, motivated by a suicide bombing of the local market carried out by a young boy of about 12 years old,” she said. A statement by the university said the story has been picked up for distribution worldwide by Journeyman Pictures and has already been viewed more than 6,000 times on YouTube, sparking comments, blogs and individual debate about the plight of the Almajiri. Acting head of the CBJ, Amanda Ball said: “Each year our students produce wellresearched and thought provoking films about subjects they feel passionately about.”
DAILY TRUST, Friday, December 23, 2016
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YOUTHVILLE
‘Poor infrastructure affecting children with learning disabilities’ Dr Badewa T. Adejugbe-Williams is the founder of Royal School of Education Foundation. The educational therapist spoke on her specialization on children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties.
By Abubakar Haruna
W
hy did you establish this foundation? Basically I have personal experience. Two of my children have development challenges but If not for the early intervention we would not have achieved and improved them. I do know that these children have challenges but they also have individual strength so that if you develop them properly with appropriate methodology and strategy they would improve and come out from their challenges. I moved back to Nigeria as an educational therapist and educational specialist. I came to Nigeria to do something completely different. I decided to do some research on what is actually going on especially on inclusive education.
I discovered that parents have felt ashamed and embarrassed to bring their children out, they kept them at home. Those who are in schools their teachers don’t have special time for them. This is really affecting them. So I decided that I should start intervention programme. We offer educational therapy and we also offered some other added therapy that can improve them like speech therapy, yoga therapy and etc. We also work with other allied professionals to put the treatment plan together for them. What have you found to be obstacles preventing such children from having quality education? The major challenge they are facing is lack of infrastructure or school that they can go to and receive the proper education
they need. They also need to have enough time to learn. It is a huge challenge that we faced. Some of them don’t have comprehension on what is going on. Don’t you think the available special education schools cater to this need? Being blind does not mean you are not smart you just can’t see and you have other senses and your dream is working. Having disability does not mean you can’t learn. So there is a difference. Autism is not the only disability that exists there are many others. Down syndrome, intellectual disability, mental retardation are also part of disabilities. We need to recognize that there are many other disability disorders. It is only a professional that can identify them. It is professionals that can develop a treatment plan for them.
City Royal College holds year end cultural fiesta By Bamas Victoria @BamasVictoria The students of City Royal College Nyanya Abuja, at the weekend treated parents, guardians and teachers and other staff to a cultural fiesta and exhibition. The fiesta had performances on choreography, cultural display, exhibitions, speech making other activities from Junior and senior classes alike. The College principal, Mr. Aromeh Edenyi who spoke about the event said: “Most students are city children as such many of them have not been to their villages so this affords them the opportunity to have a feel of their roots and culture of Nigeria as a whole because we have activities cutting across several cultures in Nigeria.” He further stated that the fiesta also avails the parents the opportunity to see and
Youth group honours commander, OPSH From Bashir Liman, Jos The West African Youth Initiatives for Peace Building and Good Leadership Development (WAYPBGLD) has honoured the 9th Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Plateau State, Major General Rogers Ibe Nicholas for his excellent leadership style and relentless effort in promoting the course of peace in Plateau. The National President of the group, Mr. Victor Zoho in a speech during the award presentation explained that the Commander is a role model to future leaders, a gift for this generation and sophisticated pride to the armed forces. The group also awarded the certificate of merit to the 9th Command of Operation Safe Haven- the multisecurity task force in charge of maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi State for playing vital role in maintaining peace in Plateau. The peace group called on youth of the nation to be good ambassadors of peace and shun violence and crime.
Kogi to facelift NYSC orientation camp By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun The Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello has pledged a facelift for the NYSC Orientation Camp in Asaya. The Governor promised to include the perimeter fencing of the camp as a way of protecting the camp infrastructure in his 2017 budget. A statement said he was addressing the 2,113 corps members at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Batch B stream 1 Orientation Course in Asaya, Bello also promised adequate security for them. He identified with the core values of the scheme saying he also wore the uniform some 16 years ago. Bello further motivated the corps members by donating a cash gift of N10,000 to each of them in the camp. Earlier the Kogi State NYSC Coordinator Mrs Bolanle Olabanji said in the absence of white collar jobs, the corps members could explore opportunities as they will be equipped with entrepreneurial skills during the service year. She said there are post camp skill centres during their primary assignment programme in selected locations across the state.
‘16,000 youth trained for industry jobs’ From Nurudeen Oyewole, Lagos
observe their children and teachers in a nonacademic settings. The form master of SS2 which won the overall first position, Mr. Uzoma Ngoka said, “The challenge lies in finding a balance between both academic and social activities. I am grateful to God that my class SS2 known as the class of excellence won the overall first position. It helps to teach the students that persistent, consistent
hard work pays.” A student and participant in the cultural dance, carol and choreography, Ngozi Dozie Chinenye Charismas Carol and Chorography said the fiesta “brings out our talents and boosts self-confidence, like I didn’t know how to dance before but because I saw other students dancing and I felt obliged to join and now I am a very good dancer.”
How I won the Sahara extrapreneur award — Duke From Nurudeen Oyewole, Lagos A 30-year-old film entrepreneur, Joseph Duke who emerged winner of the first-ever Sahara Group extrapreneurship competition has narrated how he prepared the entry that got him the award. The Sahara Group extrapreneurship competition was a youth focused contest aimed at stimulating young Nigerians to develop their entrepreneurial skills and potentials. The organisers said the 2016 edition was focused on the film and creative industry in partnership with prominent actor and film producer, Kunle Afolayan.
Duke said to prepare his short documentary video that won, he met with a young Nigerian lady that educates children suffering from cerebral palsy. He said the lady’s commitment challenged him about the commitment to societal good. “I was amazed by the work this young lady is doing. She has done tremendously well in improving understanding and the speech skills of the affected children. I titled the entry ‘Give us this day’,” Duke said. The Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, Tonye Cole said Duke will be made to undergo six months mentorship under the close guidance of
The Director-General of Industrial Training Funds (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari has revealed that the 16,000 youth who were trained in different skills, were among human capital development needed in the Federal Government’s Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP). Ari who said this at the 7th Interactive Forum with stakeholders of ITF in Lagos, adding “The ITF is playing a key role in the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan by providing young Nigerians with industrial skill development programmes. “This we do by training 500 trainees in each state and also take the responsibility for giving the trainees stipends of N5,000 every month. Through the gesture, you will agree with me that we are now keying into the Federal Government designed programme for youth unemployment,” he said. He said 16,000 youth have been trained this year with 36,000 who attended the programme across 16 states, with prospects of extending the programme to other states.
Afolayan. “Aside that, he would be attending Cannes film festival alongside Chinenye Balogun and Alabi Kayode, the duo who emerged the first and second runners up, respectively,” Cole said. Afolayan said more than 150 entries were submitted and that it took a painstaking process to select the 20 finalists who were selected. He said parts of the criteria he used in assessing the films include their production values, entertainment values, among others. Sahara Film Extrapreneurs
By means of affection, gain the heart of the youth - St. John Bosco