BY DAYO ADESULU

One hundred and eight (108) out-of school girls have been identified to benefit from the socioeconomic empowerment project initiated by Action Health Incorporated (AHI) as they have been enrolled in varying programme options that include formal education, non-formal education and vocational skills acquisition under a collaborative partnership involving contributions from the community members and relevant state government agencies.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held recently at Iwaya Primary Health Care Centre, the Executive Director, Action Health Incorporated, Adenike O. Esiet (Mrs.) said that 37 of the girls who are 10-14 years old will be enrolled for primary education with the goal of preparing them for admission to secondary school adding:

AHI along with Iwaya Community Leaders have also identified accredited hairdressing and beauty salons and tailoring businesses in the community where the other 71 girls aged between 15-19 years will be enrolled in apprenticeship programmes to gain marketable skill for financial independence.

Moreover, she noted that in addition to the apprenticeship, the Lagos State Government Agency for Mass Education will be supporting the 71 girls to acquire basic literacy by setting up evening classes within the lwaya waterside. Providing learning materials and workbooks, as well as paying the instructors’ monthly salaries.

The Director reiterated that the goal of the project is to reduce their current multiple vulnerabilities by building the 108 girls personal, social and socio-economic capacities to enable them attain self-actualizing adulthood saying:

“AHI also hopes that the lessons learn from this pilot phase will help to inform effective low-cost strategies that the government and other Stakeholders in the private sector can use to address the problems facing marginalized adolescent girls on a larger scale in the numerous blighted communities across Lagos State.

Esiet pointed out that the kind gesture was in response to findings from a recently conducted study to document the educational, health and socioeconomic contexts of out-of-school adolescent girls living within slum areas in Lagos State.