Freedom Foundation, a non-governmental organisation with a  mandate of pioneering social reformation  on drug addicted victims and commercial sex workers across the nation, has  expressed hope of establishing at least 1000 ladies by next year.

The Organisation’s  programme director, Mrs Helen Nwabuoku,  made the disclosure during the graduation ceremony of eight despairing women in different vocational skills at  the organisation’s skills acquisition centre, Lekki, Lagos.

The graduands, she explained, were brought  as victims of sexual and emotional abuse, with some of them addicted to liquor and hard drugs.

But through  consistent care and rehabilitation, as well as  education and empowerment activities, she said  they  would be leaving the centre equipped to begin a new life as productive members of society.

Explaining that the organisation  was established with the mandate of systematically transforming the lives of women through a series of rehabilitation, education and empowerment programmes, she said: “Freedom Foundation has, since inception, touched many lives through community transformation. At the end of their vocational training, each of the women gets an opportunity to practise her craft with a local partner organisation either in an internship or in permanent job.

“Our target populations are the socially and economically-disadvantaged and vulnerable men, women and children within our society, all of whom have the right to be protected against poverty and the right to access basic social services, such as education and health. We believe that all individuals have the right to participate fully in the process of governance, the right to equal development, as well as the right to enjoy access to vital resources and the basic necessities of life”.

She, therefore, admonished the graduands to remember all they learnt while at the centre, with a view to projecting themselves as  good ambassadors  anywhere they find themselves.

She expressed the organisation’s  hope to expand its reach  to at least 1000 girls in the next two years. To actualize her vision, Nwabuoku called on government and eminent Nigerians to come to their aid through financial supports,  volunteers and mentoring.