This edition of the weekly update highlights the rising wave of criminal insurgency in the Niger Delta with a focus on the resurgence of targeted attacks on security facilities in Delta State. According to data (see map below), targeted violence against the police and other security agencies caused over 85 fatalities in Delta State…
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I didn’t have a job from the onset, and it was difficult to get one (1) because I’m not a graduate, so there’s no certificate attached to me. But after the program, I could manage a farm; I could make a living out of it. So, a lot has changed. It has also changed my perspective; I didn’t have to go out there and start looking for a job. I could, actually, do something with the experience I’ve gotten from the PIND training; I can now rear fishes. I have an experience to start a fish farm, so I don’t have to depend on anybody to look for a job. I can create a job for myself and, also, for other people. So, that’s a huge change and a huge experience.
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As a woman, it’s not easy to go into the construction sector. So, I had faced several challenges. A lot of people do not believe that a woman can go into woodworking. At some point, when I tell people I’m into woodworking, they’ll be like,” You’re doing a show.” But what convinces them is when they come here, and then they see me working and building things. Or, maybe, if I build and post it online, they’ll be like,” Wow, you’re just different.”
I’m now financially stable. I can say that because before now, money was hard to come by.
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To support youths without virtual access, the partners held physical trainings with reduced class sizes. They also alternated the training schedule for participants to maintain physical distance.
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The Niger Delta records some of the worst indices in youth unemployment, raising the need to find a working and sustainable model for getting the teeming youth population employed. In 2018, PIND and the Ford Foundation commenced a two-year NYDEP project pilot. It is based on a simple logic: a cohort of young people can become employed by targeting growth sectors developing and delivering skills development content (which incorporates technical, behavioral, and entrepreneurship skills) tailored to these sectors, and receiving post-training support into employment or entrepreneurship.
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Working virtually with private clean energy providers and community associations, PIND facilitated the setup of six (6) energy cabins in six (6) coastal communities. They provided reliable electricity to a group of businesses and households in the communities. The energy cabins helped them reduce business costs, extend their business hours, and power large-load appliances.
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’My name is Uduak Etuk; I’m from Ekono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Currently, I’m a woodworker. I graduated with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration. After my NYSC (National Youth Service Corps), I have worked for several corporate bodies as an administrator, but I never saw the satisfaction in the job, so I had to stop. Then I picked up a form to start my post-graduate diploma, but along the line, there was no money for school fee, so I paused.
Then, I came across PIND online. I got to know about NDYEP on Facebook in a post that people will be screened on several skills, and I picked interest in woodwork. I was selected. And after the screening process, we proceeded to the training, which lasted for about six (6) months. The training has built me—technically, it has built me; and mechanically, it has built me. Currently, I’ve finished the training; I’m now doing my job.
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‘’The entire team collectively prepared the proposal documents, following the grant writing standards taught during the mentorship. This helped us meet the donor project’s requirements as SEYP received a grant of EUR 45,000 from the Embassy. After that, we secured another grant of EUR 300,000 from the European Union (EU)/IOM, and the strength of staff has increased to 17 permanent staff,’’ explained the Chief Executive, Jennifer Ero.
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