FCTA & SAP-CLN TRAINS EX-SEX WORKERS & DISABLED PERSONS

Determined to rid the streets of Abuja of prostitutes, beggars and destitutes, Social Development Secretariat, FCTA, in collaboration with the Society Against Prostitution and Child Labour (SAP-CLN) has trained 137 ex-sex workers, 57 disabled persons and 336 others in various skills. The graduands, picked from the streets of Abuja and its environs were enrolled at Sabon-Lugbe Rehabilitation Centre and Bwari Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in order to learn meaningful skills. The graduands who were trained in hair-dressing, computer appreciation, fashion designing, catering, beads and hats-making and events management, were given kits relevant to their training and N100,000 cash to enable them set up their businesses. Secretary of FCTA’s SDS, Mrs Blessing Onuh, said the programme which was organised by the FCT Social Development Secretariat, FCTA, was formed mainly to fight prostitution in Nigeria. She explained that 137 out of the number were repentant commercial sex workers, while the rest were vulnerable women in the FCT, among them single mothers and widows. She recalled that the centre had trained and graduated about 39 ladies in the first batch of the programme and added that progress reports received from them so far were encouraging. She stated: “Just as government gives some percentage to women in politics including appointments, they should also allot a percentage to the disabled and destitute in the society to enable them feel a sense of belonging.” Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi said that poverty, which is usually associated with women, is gradually being removed with the programme. He told the graduating students that they are already ambassadors and have to use the training given to them to positively impact  their environment. He commended the secretariat for what it was doing and encouraged the graduands to put the training and kits given to them to good use. Adeyemi said that a part of the 2012 budget has been approbed for the social development effort of the FCT to support the number of people moving into the FCT daily. He further stated that as a mark of support for the social services the secretariat was rendering, the committee had reviewed its 2012 budget proposal upwards, to enable it do more in the fiscal year. Vanguard Nigeria