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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA) has trained a total of 102 wives of deceased soldiers, girls and barracks youth on various skill acquisition.
The trainees comprising 84 women and 22 men, who commenced training last October, were trained on Catering Services, Fashion Designing, Hair Making/makeup Gele Tying, Production of Household Products, Information Communication Technology, Bag Making and Barbing.
In her address at the graduation ceremony, DEPOWA president Mrs Oghogho Musa, who is also the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), said the training is in line with her vision of Seeing Women and Girls Become Productive and Contributors to Family and Society Driven by Deep Sense of Values and Hard-working Spirit.
Mrs, Musa, while noting that the training commenced with 106 beneficiaries, however said that only 102, made it to the graduation owing to the high premium it place in the standard of trainings at the Centre.
She said to cushion the hardship faced by the trainees, “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.
She said: “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.”
Speaking further, the DEPOWA presidents said the Batches 14, 15 and 16 of 2023 trainees who are graduating today, were nominated from the various sister-Associations under DEPOWA.
She said “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 the hope that the graduating trainees have all acquired requisite skills in their chosen areas of endeavour that will guarantee them self-sustenance, assist their families in the nearest future and ultimately become useful members of the society.
Mrs Musa, who commended them for their patience, discipline and commitment through the training process, said “Remember that the whole essence of grooming you through this programme is to assist you in securing your future, to be able to take care of yourself and your family and ultimately becoming productive and responsible members of the society. I therefore implore you to be good ambassadors of DSAC. Make sure that you fully and responsibly utilise every opportunity that comes your way. More importantly, be bold, brave, disciplined and continue to improve upon the crafts you have learnt from this Centre.
“I have no doubt that equipped with these attributes, you will most definitely succeed in your respective endeavors. I wish you the very best of luck as you set forth to conquer the future. Congratulations once again.”
She thanked the CDS, General Christopher Musa, the service chiefs, the Principal Staff Officers of the Defence and Services Headquarters, and all the senior officers who contributed one way or the other to the success of DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Trainings and indeed other DEPOWA endeavours.
