The Searite Foundation has trained 40 young people in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria, with vocational skills and essential tools to start their own businesses in an effort to promote economic self-reliance.
The initiative aims to mitigate poverty through direct investment in human capital development.
Beneficiaries, chosen from across the community, received training in high-demand fields such as fashion design, bakery and confectionery, electrical work, hairdressing, welding, furniture making, shoe making, and grilling.
Upon completing their training, each graduate received a starter kit of professional-grade tools relevant to their trade. The kits included items such as sewing machines, baking ovens, drilling machines, hair dryers, and grilling equipment, providing a critical foundation for their new ventures.
“This program is about giving our youth a hand-up, not just a hand-out,” said Chief Oraeto. “By providing both skills and the physical means to produce, we are building a foundation for sustainable growth and a crime-free society.”
The event also highlighted cultural preservation, with the foundation awarding cash prizes to eight pupils and four students from local public schools for exceptional performance in the Igbo language. Their teachers were also recognised for their roles in this academic achievement.