About 34 repentant commercial sex workers yesterday graduated from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Rehabilitation Centre, Sabon-Lugbe Abuja, after completing three months courses in vocational skills training.
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The 34 women were arrested at several points in the FCT about seven months ago and were trained in skills including, hair dressing, fashion designing, catering/bakery, computer appreciation, hat and bead making and events management, and are the first set of trainees to graduate from the centre.
The rehabilitation and training was carried out by the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Society Against Prostitution and Child Labour in Nigeria (SAP-CLN).
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Secretary, SDS, Mrs. Blessing Onu said the administration had made the offer of a starter pack comprising all the equipment needed by each of the 34 women in the
area of training, to keep them on the job and assist them to earn a decent living.
She said the action was in the belief that when the women earn a decent living, it would inspire their former colleagues to also abandon the trade, and accept the offer for free training to become empowered.
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“As a further proof of its commitment ?to the rehabilitation process, the FCT administration through the NGO is offering the graduands starter packs and take off grants to enable them commence business ventures in their acquired skills.
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“This, we hope, will improve their means of livelihood and keep them away from the street. It is our belief that this success story will encourage other ladies to avail themselves the opportunity of being trained in more meaningful and sustainable skills to earn decent living and empowerment,” she said.?
Eight of the women were trained in bead making, nine in computer appreciation, three in fashion designing and 14 in hair dressing. Each of them was also given a cash grant of N100, 000 to enable them start up properly.
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In her address at the occasion, special adviser on social development to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Sarah Akube, appealed to Nigerian men not to patronise young girls engaged in the act of prostitution, but to regard them as their sisters and daughters.
“I want to appeal to men of Nigeria not to touch the innocent girls,” she said, and charged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the centre and the women of Nigeria as they out to the wider society.
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