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| Cross section of VTIRUWED Graduates in family picture. |
Story by Laarry Uchenna
The Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women for Education and Development, abbreviated as VTIRUWED, has successfully graduated its pioneer batch of trainees from the institution in Bamenda in the North West Region. This was during a graduation ceremony that took place at MINEPAT Hall Upstation, Bamenda, on Saturday, October 29, 2024.
A total of 33 highly vulnerable female Cameroonians aged 15 to 30 were trained and impacted respectively in five different fields in their Bamenda branch during an intensive 1-year, five-month course.With head office in Ndop, Ngoketunjia Division, the Bamenda branch, which is an institute under the Rural Women Center For Education and Development, RuWCED has been in existence for about 2 years now, and this is the first set trainees it is graduating.
Though it is the first batch in Bamenda, VTIRUWED Ndop has graduated 6 batches and Bamenda pioneer graduation makes it the 7th batch.
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| Neh Mirabel Shu, VTIRUWED Bamenda Branch Administrator |
Speaking to Neh Mirabel Shu, the Administrator of VTIRUWED Bamenda branch, the training that was carried out free of charge was instituted to prevent the youths from going astray.
"When we graduate, we don't leave them like that. We mother them just to be sure they don't go astray. We create a forum and put them in for regular followup",
the VTIRUWED Administrator stated, adding that,
"After the graduation, we give them seeds to start something in their respective fields. The training is free of charge. They don't pay the trainers, because RuWCED pays the trainers. All we need from the children is their seriousness."
Trained in the fields of Tailoring, Fashion Designing, Computer, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Cookery, Catering and Agriculture, the 2023/2024 batch, according to Neh Mirabel, is going out equipped and well-armed to face the job market.
"The institution was created because a lot of children are in need and do not have the means or sponsorship to go through a journey. Because of that most of them become vulnerable to violence, unwanted pregnancy,robbery and drug abuse in the communities. This made the founder of VTIRUWED to see the necessity of bringing these children and giving them a skill that can transform their lives and make them automatically self-employed",
she explained.
On their part, Vumombi Modette, and Abonge Shallote Anneh, graduates of tailoring, fashion designing and computer fields, respectively, expressed readiness and fitness for the job market.
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| Different fields of studies offered by VTIRUWED. |
According to Abonge Shallote, she intends to make good use of what she acquired. The computer illiterate turned literate is now open to work as a secretary or even ready to open and run documentation after the training.
"I am from the computer department. I have learnt a lot. We learned secretarial duties and computer software like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which I presented a PowerPoint during graduation. We also learned networking and many others. I am going into the job market fully equipped. I am ready to apply my skills to what I have been able to acquire. I am now able to run my own documentation, or why not start work anywhere as a secretary to gather more experience."
the former VTIRUWED trainee reiterated.
Vumombi Modest, a trained fashion designer, already has a workshop where she carries out nail and toe installation, and she intends to open a big workshop and become a big fashion designer in town.
"I am already into the job market. Before graduating, I already established my business place where I do nails and toes. I also do a lot of other things that I learnt from the Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women Center for Education and Development. So i am already applying what I learnt,"
she stated categorically.
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| Akuro Forsab, RuWCED Coordinator |
On his part, Akuro Forsab, the coordinator for Rural Women Center for Education and Development, RuWCED, explained that the creation of the Vocational Training Institute of Rural Women for Education and Development was to breach the vulnerability gab of Internally Displaced Persons and bring in something sustainable. "We noticed that some of the women were so vulnerable and those who have suffered from gender based violence amongst them IDPs. We realized that the help we used to give was not sustainable so we thought it wise to open a vocational training institute, which would enable these women gain skills and become entrepreneurs, be independent, be able to create jobs, to better their livelihood thereby curbing gender based violence."
he expasiated.
He further emphasized on the raison d'etre of RuWCED which according to him is a nongovernmental organisation which has been working endlessly to promote health education and livelihood of women especially rural women and girls.
"At RuWCED, we have many programs. One of the programs is a vocational training institute which is an arm of RuWCED,"
he said. www.rayinfos.com
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