DEPOWA Achieves Major Milestone, Successfully GraduateBatches 14, 15, 16 of 2023 Trainees of the Her Skills Acquisition Centre

The President Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Lillian Musa has expressed delight at the successful graduation of
Batches 14, 15 and 16 of 2023 Trainees of the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre, totaling 102 youths and women.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the of the combined trainees of DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre, in Abuja, Mrs Musa noted that it is an honor and privilege to train and
nurture young men and women to become productive members of the society.

“I am therefore proud to present to you yet another set of beneficiaries of DEPOWA’s goodwill to humanity.

“We make bold to say that these modest achievements have become our ‘article of faith’ as we painstakingly strive to positively impact lives.

“It is indeed an affirmation of DEPOWA’s well-known passion and commitment towards empowering the women, youths and other vulnerable members of our constituency and beyond.

“Today, the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre, after five months of rigorous and painstaking training, is graduating a total of 102 trainees, in line with my vision of Seeing Women and Girls become productive and contributors to family and society driven by deep sense of values and hard-working spirit.

She disclosed that the trainees were inaugurated on the 9th October 2023 and training commenced thereafter with 106 beneficiaries comprising of 84 women and 22 men.

“However, owing to the high premium we place in the standard of trainings at the Centre, 102 trainees are graduating today.

“The successful beneficiaries were trained in various skills including, Catering Services, Fashion Designing, Hair Making/makeup and Gele Tying.

“Others are Production of Household Products, Information Communication Technology, Bag Making and Barbing.

“Each of the participant’s training regimen was fully funded by DEPOWA and all of them were provided with essential basic training materials and placed on monthly stipends of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) to cater for their logistics and personal needs.

“It is also noteworthy that in spite of the limited funds at our disposal, we had to undertake a thorough renovation of the Centre and provided it new equipment to ensure conducive learning environment prior to commencement of the training.

“This was necessary in view of the fact that all the departments of Centre were in a deplorable state and with obsolete facilities.

The DEPOWA President further informed that the Batches 14, 15 and 16 of 2023 trainees were nominated from the various sister-Associations under DEPOWA.

According to her, “Considerations were however given to wives of fallen heroes and vulnerable youths within and outside the barrack community.

“They were exposed to intensive trainings based on the reviewed training curriculum of the Centre.

“The curriculum review was necessitated by the need to ensure that our trainees were adequately equipped with the right knowledge and contemporary skills to enable them have comparative advantage with their counterparts when they leave this Centre.

She expressed confidence that the graduating trainees have all acquired requisite skills in their chosen areas of endeavor that will guarantee them self-sustenance, assist their families in the nearest future and ultimately become useful members of the society.

She also expressed her profound gratitude to those who supported DEPOWA in making the training a reality.

“Permit me at this juncture to state that our modest effort towards transforming the lives of these graduating trainees were made possible through the significant supports and encouragements extended to DEPOWA by well-meaning individuals and corporate organizations.

“On this note, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Special Guest of Honour, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR, for supporting the ideals of DEPOWA and being the driving force behind my stated vision for this noble organization.

“On behalf of all DEPOWA members and the entire families of Defence personnel, I say thank you so much sir.