| The Women at Risk International Foundation has trained more than 120 secondary school students on various vocational skills at its first edition of the Student Empowerment Programme.
Held last month, the training is part of WARIF’s drive to equip young girls faced with challenges of obtaining formal schooling, with additional skill sets necessary to become empowered and financially independent. The training brought together experts in Makeup, Shoe Making, Fascinator Craft, Jewelry, Baking and Soap Making to teach students on how to learn and become experts in such skills, so as to generate an income for them. This initiative by WARIF enforces the organisation’s commitment to reducing the prevalence of sexual abuse following a sizable record of survivors whose perpetrators are well known and trusted individuals, most of whom survivors are financially dependent upon. Kemi Da Silva Ibru, founder of WARIF said that vocational skills training is one of the key ways of tackling the issue of financial independence of sexual abuse survivors, “The programme serves to empower young girls and women and to address the issue of the financial gap that exists among women who are in abusive relationships and situations but may not have a vocational skills set and are forced to remain and make poor choices due to this financial constraint”. In addition to the skills acquisition programme organised by WARIF, the organisation also operates a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a safe and secure facility, where all can walk in and where trained staff are available to provide support to survivors through free medical care, legal aid, psycho-social counseling and social welfare with the sole purpose of helping survivors overcome and heal from these traumatic events and ultimately live an independent life free from trauma. Survivors can also contact the Centre through a 24-hour confidential helpline (08092100009) for immediate assistance, counseling and support. WARIF since its establishment has collaborated with governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide added services to survivors. It will continue to target the intervention and treatment of survivors of sexual violence as well as providing effective preventive measures in reducing the problem of Rape and Sexual Violence. Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) is a non-governmental organisation that was incorporated in 2016 Kemi Da-Silva Ibru a medical doctor and public health expert in response to the high incidence of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking occurring among young girls and women across Nigeria. |
