…as NYSC members offer free training, laptops to orphans
A group of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Benin City, the Edo State capital, has unveiled plans to train over 100 children in different orphanage homes above the age of 12 in digital technological skills.
According to Emmanuel Nnaemeka Vitus, the head of the group, the initiative titled “OrphanHub,” serves as Community Development Service (CDS) project, and is geared towards the purposeful empowerment of less-privileged youths and children in the state capital, and will run for three weeks starting from April 2 to April 19, 2024.
The training sessions, which are scheduled to take place every Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 12pm at the Edo Innovative Hub, Wire Road, will cover a variety of topics designed to educate the children on the relevant skills necessary to survive in a fast-paced society where digital literacy has become an invaluable asset. Topics the participants will learn include basic computer literacy, photography, videography, editing, cyberspace and online safety, web development using WordPress CMS, digital marketing fundamentals, and graphics design essentials, and social media management.
The children that will emerge as the top 10 participants at the end of the training will be awarded personal computers (laptops) to further their learning and subsequently enhance their opportunities in the labour market as well as facilitate socio-economic independence. This gesture serves as evidence of the group’s willingness to dedicate their efforts to the provision of requisite resources needed for the comprehensive training of the orphans.
Ultimately, this initiative aligns with Governor Godwin Obaseki’s intention to empower youths and vulnerable adults in the state. It also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 9, focusing on quality education and industry, innovation, and infrastructure.
This project boasts partnerships with various governmental and media entities, most notably the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Ministry of Communication and Orientation, Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, Nigeria Television Authority, Edo Innovative Hub, and the Nigerian Observer’s newspaper, among other private channels.
Public support for this programme is being encouraged, inviting financial assistance or engagement of youths and orphanage communities to contribute to the programme. This initiative promises to be a beacon of hope, a stepping stone towards a brighter future for all beneficiaries and stakeholders of the community at large.
