The Katsina state government has graduated the first set of 455 female trainees under its special empowerment program for young girls.
This initiative is conducted under the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development and is intended to reach out to girls, especially from the parts worst hit by insecurity.
Correspondent Abdullatif Yusuf reports that items worth millions of naira and cash donations were presented to the trainees to enable them to start a new beginning.
Unemployment is higher among women and girls, and this has always put them at the lowest rung of the society.
The aftermath of insecurity and the growing economic challenges in parts of the country are also factors that have compelled Katsina state to design a new programme to assist committed young girls to start earning for themselves.
Ummi Ibrahim is a beneficiary of this program who trained as a tailor.
According to her (” Life without marriage or a job is full of challenges. My parents are poor and can hardly cater to all my needs.
I have waited for an opportunity like this to start something for over three years now.
We are grateful and pray this will reach other young girls like us because a lot of them are being lured to evil deeds.”)
The special adviser on girl child education and child development explained the benefit of the initiative and how the government intends to sustain the program.
Another worry for the government is the migration of young girls from their rural communities into big cities and urban areas without any proper form of livelihood.
Governor Dikko Radda in his revivalism agenda has pointed out that youth empowerment will not only receive the serious attention from his administration but will be another approach to address insecurity.
Earlier, the Governor also commissioned a referral center for counseling victims of sexual violence.
The governor also inspected the facilities in the center and promised to give more attention to the center.
