…skills, skillful people changing world narrative, says Mrs Obaseki

No fewer than 200 persons with disabilities in Edo state are expected to benefit from a training programme put together by Network for the Advancement of Persons with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID).

The programme, tagged “Skill-Up” was inaugurated on Thursday in Benin City, the state capital, to train beneficiaries in various profitable skills for financial independence.

Speaking at the ceremony, wife of the state governor, Betsy Obaseki challenged beneficiaries to put in their best in the course of the training and not see their physical appearance as hindrance to achieving success.

Betsy Obaseki, represented by Godsent Erhunmwunse, commended NAPVID for the programme, arguing that a person with disability is not that person who has nothing to contribute to the society.

“You need to know that the age we are in is no longer the age of papers (certificates) where you carry a lot of backlog of degrees. The age we are in is about what you have got to offer; skills, skillful people that are changing the narrative of the world,” she remarked.

Melody Omosah, NAPVID’s executive director, stated that the programme is in recognition of the fact that when provided with enabling environment, people with disabilities can contribute meaningfully to the society.

Omosah, while acknowledging support of the state government for NAPVID programmes, noted that Wednesday’s event was a fallout of its ‘Project Help’ initiative launched in May of 2021, to cater for the health, education and livelihoods of indigent persons with disabilities.

“2023 Skill-Up project is coming on the hills of our empowerment with persons with disabilities in 2021, and 2022 under the livelihood component; where we focus on empowering skilled applicants with disabilities, setting them up with businesses of their own,” Omosah said.

On her part, Ann Ojugo, the state’s chairperson for Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), thanked the organizers.

“The cars we drive, people manufactured them, the wheelchair we are sitting on, people manufactured them, the dress we are using to cover our nakedness, people manufactured it, and people with disability can do more,” Ojugo charged beneficiaries.

They are to be trained in perfume, soap, shoe, hair and body cream making, graphics design amongst others.