The Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women for Education and Development, abbreviated as VTIRUWED, has successfully graduated its pioneer batch of trainees from the institution in Bamenda in the North West Region. This was during a graduation ceremony that took place at MINEPAT Hall Upstation, Bamenda, on Saturday, October 29, 2024.
A total of 33 highly vulnerable female Cameroonians aged 15 to 30 were trained and impacted respectively in five different fields in their Bamenda branch during an intensive 1-year, five-month course.
With head office in Ndop, Ngoketunjia Division, the VTIRUWED Bamenda branch, which is an institute under the Rural Women Center For Education and Development, RuWCED. Though it is the first batch in Bamenda, VTIRUWED Ndop has graduated 6 batches and Bamenda pioneer graduation makes it the 7th batch.
Speaking to Neh Mirabel Shu, the Administrator of VTIRUWED Bamenda branch, the training that was carried out free of charge was instituted to prevent the youths from going astray.
"When we graduate, we don't leave them like that. We mother them just to be sure they don't go astray. We create a forum and put them in for regular followup", the VTIRUWED
Administrator stated, adding that "After the graduation, we give them seeds to start something in their respective fields. The training is free of charge. They don't pay the trainers, because RuWCED pays the trainers. All we need from the children is their seriousness".
Trained in the fields of Tailoring, Fashion Designing, Computer, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Cookery, Catering and Agriculture. The 2023/2024 badge, according to Neh Mirabel, is going out equipped and well-armed to face the job market.
"The institution was created because a lot of children are in need and do not have the means or sponsorship to go through a journey. Because of that most of them go around messing up in the community. So the Founder of VTIRUWED thought it necessary to bring these children and give them a skill that can transform their lives and make them automatically self-employed", she explained.
On their part, Vumombi Modette and Abonge Shallote Anneh, graduates of tailoring and fashion designing and computer fields, respectively, expressed readiness and fitness for the job market.
According to Abonge Shallote, she intends to make good use of what she acquired. The computer illiterate turned literate is now open to work as a secretary or even ready to open and run documentation after the training.
"I am from the computer department. I have learnt a lot. We learned secretarial duties and computer software like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which I presented a PowerPoint during graduation. We also learned networking and many others. I am going into the job market fully equipped. I am ready to apply my skills to what I have been able to acquire. I am now able to run my own documentation, or why not start work anywhere as a secretary to gather more experience?" the former VTIRUWED trainee reiterated.
Different fields of studies offered by VTIRUWED
Vumombi Modest, a trained fashion designer, already has a workshop where she carries out nail and toe installation, and she intends to open a big workshop and become a big fashion designer in town.
"I am already into the job market. Before graduating I already established my business place where I do nails and toes. I also do alot of other things that I learnt from the Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women for Education and Development. So i am already applying what I learnt", she stated categorically.
On his part, Akuro Fossab, the coordinator for Rural Women Center for Education and Development, RuWCED, explained that the creation of the Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women for Education and Development was to breach the vulnerability gab of Internally Displaced Persons and bring in something sustainable.
"It came about when we discovered that while working with women, we noticed that some were so vulnerable and those who have suffered from gender based violence IDP's. We realized that the help we used to give was not sustainable so we thought it wise by opening a vocational training institute, this would enable these women with skills which would be more sustainable given that after a training like this, they would become entrepreneurs, be independent job seekers and work such that their life would improve thereby going a long way to reduce gender base violence and suffering", he expantiated.
He further expansiated on the raison d'etre of RuWCED which is a nongovernmental organisation has been working endlessly to promote health education and livelihood of women especially rural women and girls.
"At RuWCED, we have many programs. One of the programs is a vocational training institute which is an arm of RuWCED", he said.
By
Laarry Uchenna
0 Comments