35 Sex Workers Complete Training (Page 4)

Thirty-five commercial sex workers, sponsored by the FCT Administration to acquire skills in various trades have completed their training.

Mrs Blessing Onuh, Secretary, Social Development Secretariat (SDS), who spoke at the graduation ceremony on Thursday in Abuja, said the training was to enable them to better their lives.



She said that the 35 graduates were the first batch trained in different skills like hair dressing, computer application, fashion designing, catering and bead making at the Sabon-Lugbe Rehabilitation Centre.

Onuh said that the FCT Administration engaged the services of a non-governmental organisation, Society Against Prostitution and Child Labour in Nigeria (SPA-CLN) and other agencies to evacuate the commercial sex workers.

She said that the FCT Administration through the NGO, would offer those who graduated from the centre starter packs and take-off grants for their various businesses.

“It is our belief that this success story will encourage other ladies to avail themselves of the opportunity of being trained in more meaningful and sustainable skills.”

Mrs Grace Adogo, coordinator SPA-CLN, said that the ladies had been “transformed into better women, wives and mothers for a better future.”

“These girls were once misled, but we are happy they are back to track for better living.”

Adogo said that three of them who were university graduates had been given automatic employment by the administration, adding that six others were now working with SPA-CLN.

She called on other NGOs, corporate organisations and individuals to assist in the training of the young ladies to enable them to better their lives.

Miss John Sandra, who acquired skill in bead making said she enjoyed the rehabilitation process because it had transformed her into a better person.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the graduates were given a starter pack and N100,000 each.

Fourteen of the graduates specialised in hair dressing, nine in computer application, eight in fashion designing and three in bead making.

NAN recalls that the Sabon-Lugbe rehabilitation centre was inaugurated on May 10 to curb the menace of commercial sex workers in the FCT.