CAFE: Osodieme charges graduands to make the difference

By Emeka Ozumba

The wife of the Governor of Anambra State and founder of the charity organization, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, (CAFE), Dr (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme) has charged over three hundred graduands under the NGO's Skills Training and Empowerment programme to make the most of what they learnt by going into the world to make a positive difference.

Mrs Obiano made the call during empowerment of the CAFE 12th Batch Skills Training and Empowerment programme on March 3, 2021, at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.

The three hundred persons, mostly indigent women, widows, youths and the physically challenged, were sponsored by her to a three-week intensive training at the Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneural Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

The graduands who were trained on hairdressing and beauty therapy, bead making, soap making, bakery and confectionery, tailoring and fashion design, information and communication technology, among others, went home with start-up capital and tools for each of their designated skill areas.

The Skills Training programme began in 2020 with a scheduled empowerment regime, but stalled by the advent of the Covi-19 pandemic was later concluded in March 2021.

Mrs Obiano stated that despite the current economic downturn which has made training and empowerment very expensive, CAFE would not ignore basic aspect of the programme which is to give the beneficiaries a practical start in life.

She commended the graduands for successfully completing their trainings, and charged them to go into the business world and make maximum economic impact for themselves and the society. She thanked the managers of Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneural Studies for their support in making the partnership and training a success.

In her remarks, the Anambra State Commissioner for Welfare, Children and Women Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue, said the Governor's wife has made a mark in providing life-time opportunity to the less privileged. Commenting on the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Indigenous Medicine, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, said that the commitment and consistency of Osodieme since 2014 in helping those in need to start a life is exemplary and commendable. On her part, the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, Prof Theresa Obiekezie urged the beneficiaries to handle the equipment well in order to help train others with it since the programme is train the trainer.

Earlier the CAFE Programme Manager and Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Emeka Ozumba, described Mrs Obiano's penchant for benevolence as a dogged show of passion, noting that despite the challenges of COVID-19, she remained insistent in keeping with record schedule in Anambra State.

The Deputy Director, Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneural Studies, Professor Ngozi Ijeomah, in her remarks, noted that the biggest life's investment is equipping humanity to cater for itself independently, a vision that Osodieme has lived, and urged the beneficiaries to tap into the vast entrepreneural opportunities out there.

Others who addressed the graduating students include the traditional ruler of Nteje, Igwe Rowland Odegbo, that of Aguleri, Igwe Michael Idigo. They urged the beneficiaries to see the gesture from the Governor's wife as a socio-economic liberation for those trained to use and achieve financial independence.

Some of the beneficiaries include, Mrs Gladys Anero-Jideani from Anambra East Local Government Area who graduated in tailoring while Mrs Eunice Anumba also of the tailoring class who was the overall best graduating student, prayed for Osodieme and promised to utilize the opportunity to develop themselves and add value to the society.

The current beneficiaries brought the number of persons so far trained and empowered by CAFE since August, 2014 to five thousand, five hundred.

Well done Osodieme

Your drunk husband has wrecked Anambra state

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Moferere:
Well done Ozodieme

Osodieme not Ozodieme

Fahdiga1:
Your drunk husband has wrecked Anambra state

Obiano is better than most Governors from the East