By Agha Ibiam, ThisDay Online, 15 Nov. 2007
Miss. Opeoluwa Gentle, 21, from Ekiti State is a brilliant girl, judging by her communication prowess and her senior school certificate examination (SSCE) result which she made at one sitting. Ope is naturally science inclined. But her hope of becoming a mechanical engineering student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was dashed.
“I was not admitted for the course I applied for even though I scored 42 as against 34 marks the school authority said the cut-off mark was”, she said during the end of the first year ceremony of the organisation in Lagos. It was a friend of hers in Ajegunle where she resides that gave her the information about the mechanic training through a flier. In April, 2006, she commenced as a mechanic trainee, an area that is regarded as male dominated field. The course which Ope could not read in books and learn all about theories surrounding mechanical engineering, she has ended up learning practical.
Like any profession, Ope had challenges that almost threatened her from continuing the training. She said, “I was loosing shape and getting weak. At a point I lost track of the whole thing, but was encouraged by family members”. Even though she has acquired some technical experience in motor mechanics, she still eyes the Ivory Tower where she hopes to make her experience complete. But this time, the reverse will now be the case where she will practice her trade full-time, and studies on part-time basis.
Grace Kadiri Boubai, 25, is a dark complexioned girl from Bayelsa State. She has been on training for two years. It was through the younger sister that she came to know about the initiative. Just like the story of the seeds in the Holy Bible that fell on fertile soil, she became the fertile soil on which the seed fell, grew and multiplied. On seeing Grace for the first time, it is difficult to distinguish her from a man, as the training has brought out a masculine stature in her. Grace who now stays with the father in Lagos, having lost her mother is determined to complete the three year programme. And after that, she hopes to go back to her state and establish a workshop.
Following her mentors footsteps, Sandra Aguebor, founder of the initiative, Grace said the workshop focuses on training of girls. This way, they are discouraged from going into prostitution, child trafficking and other social vices that abound in the society.
Just like her colleague Ope, Grace said she will still like to go back to school after the training. But for now, this kind of training is what she has been longing for and she is determined to follow it to the end. Another trainee, Naomi Dinlongi, has also been on the training for two years and hopes to complete the three year course. She was a student in Jos, but heard about the lady mechanic initiative at the Praise Sanctuary, Redeem Church of God in Lagos, and decided to make career in it.
{mosimage}“Honestly I am in love with the vocation and that is why I am showing a lot of interest in it. I forget about the stress and ensure I give my best for it”, she said. Naomi said there were two other girls that came from Redeem, but had to quit apparently due to the stress aspect of the job. Though there are challenges on the job such as getting injured and exposed to sunshine, Naomi insists that she prefers it to staying idle. She will want to go back to her village in Edo State to establish a workshop. To actualise this dream will not be a problem to her as the organisation is in partnership with a lot of corporate firms that could help them to excel.
Some of the organisations are Coscharis Motors, PAN, Oceanic Bank and Commissioners for Women Affairs in Lagos and Benin. Others are former first lady of Lagos, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, Rotary Clubs and other non-governmental organisations. Apart from working closely with these few organisations, Sandra told the gathering that she has benefited tremendously from the American government. Through the US Embassy in Nigeria, she was able to visit seven states in the US courtesy of Dr. Atim George, Counselor for Public Affairs, US embassy. he initiative has successfully trained and graduated seven girls and a Liberian refugee boy, picked from various deprived circumstances. They were first rehabilitated and provided with the training in auto mechanic maintenance and repair technology. She said the trainees are counseled on health and psychologically before the training commences.
Enumerating her achievements, Sandra revealed that seven girls have completed their three year programmes and now gainfully employed within the auto mechanic industry. One of them she said told her that she wants to acquire a piece of land at Ikorodu to establish a workshop. With the collaboration that exist between the lady mechanic initiative and one of the leading telecommunication outfit in Nigeria, she said 50 trainees have now completed the foundation year programme and now moving into their second year SME programme. The SME programme requires having what the initiative call franchise point, accounts, legal and SME lectures, practical running of spare parts franchise, mechanical practical and mechanical engineering lectures. The foundation year course essentially bothers on assigning the ladies to workshop at Post and Telecommunications (P&T) centers for practical, monthly mechanical lectures from state universities, monthly motivational lectures, self-help groups and lectures on HIV/AIDS.
Some of the aims and objectives of establishing the initiative include, teaching useful trades to the poor and vulnerable in the society, rehabilitate and empower widows, orphans, prostitutes through learning a trade and living a positive life that is based on hard work. Even widows are not left out in this line of trade. Mrs. Tina Uba from Enugu State lost her husband two years ago. She did not surrender her life to forces, instead she believes in the saying that tomorrow will be better. To keep body and soul together, she decided to join the lady mechanic initiative. Even if she seems to be the oldest among all the girls on training, Tina says she must follow the profession to the end.
Mallam Abubakar Mohammed Director, Small Scale Enterprise Department, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Abuja, said the lady mechanic initiative is the kind of initiative NDE have been clamouring for in the country so that people, especially girls will be gainfully employed. “There is nowhere in the constitution of Nigeria or in the Bible nor in Koran that says that women can not be mechanics. We have been preaching that all these trade that is male dominated can be handled by women.
“Carpentry and vocations can equally be practiced by women. We have been vindicated by what we have been preaching that it is practicable and it will be of benefits to the youths of this country. Women constitute significant proportion of the population in this country and they must come into all the trades to raise the national productivity,” he said. He explained that when it comes to work hazard, they are more careful, though statement according to him can not be proved scientifically. He however insists that women are more careful than men and therefore do not expect much accident or recklessness on their part.
“We are offerings to be part of the initiative to replicate the services they are doing in Lagos to other parts of the country, which we are promising to do. In respect to unemployment, before the NDE was created our problem was unemployment. “Today mass unemployment is going hand in hand with mass poverty. The psych of the Nigeria youths has been affected. They need reorientation to change their value. There must be a change of mindset for our people to embrace productivity and to accept skills so that they can flow freely in a competitive world of productivity,” he said.
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