PIND sponsored 10 of its Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) participants to attend the Niger Delta Future Fest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. This was done to commemorate International Youth Day, whose theme was ‘Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.’ The participants share their stories of being part of the YEP Program and a message to other Niger Delta Youths.
DetailsI 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.
DetailsAs 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.
DetailsTo 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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