…As Mastercard, MAI foundations partner

By Izunna Nkwachukwu

A new vista of gainful self-employment will soon open for selected youths in Abia State, who have been receiving vocational training organised by the MAI Foundation for Women Empowerment and Advocacy in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The one-year project, which began on 1st of October, and tagged the Imu Oru Upskilling Project, will impact 120 youths in the state with hands-on training in carpentry, shoemaking, and tailoring.

The organisers stated that the project underscored a shared commitment by MAI Foundation and Mastercard Foundation towards championing youth empowerment, closing critical skills gaps, and fuelling long-term socio-economic progress.

The project  the integrate the Igba Boi apprentice model, where young people undergo training in the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS), a socio-economic model where a master (Oga) takes a mentee under his wing for a set period to teach them a trade or business skill.

Giving further explanation about the initiative, the Project Manager, Amanda Obidike, said: “Beyond the technical expertise, the participants will also be provided with in-depth training in soft skills, business development, and financial literacy to ensure they are well-prepared to launch, manage, and grow their enterprises.”

The founder of the MAI Foundation, Chika Ezinma Obidike, noted that in Nigeria, beneficiaries of vocational programmes earn up to 30 per cent more than unskilled peers, and over 60 per cent of them go on to train others within their communities.

Obidike stated that at the end of the project, the beneficiaries will be equipped with starter kits and resources to kickstart their businesses, creating ripple effects of opportunity and innovation within their communities.

On the Igba Boi scheme the founder of MAI said, “After the training, beneficiaries will be paired with skilled craftsmen as apprentices for a period of time. This apprenticeship is an experiential form of on-the-job skills where they will be immersed in their work-specific skills.”

“The Imu Oru Upskilling Project is not just about skills,” Obidike said, stressing, “it is about building resilient communities and strengthening economies, and also about fostering gender equality and socioeconomic empowerment.