YMCA Trains Indigent Women On Catering, Baking In Kaduna

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Young Men’s Christian Association,( YMCA) Kakuri Center, has trained over 10 women on  catering, baking and lots more in Kaduna.

The weeklong skill acquisition program being the first of its kind was organized this week, to help the less privileged within the community and environs acquire basic knowledge in starting up a confectionery business.

 Speaking the representative of Chairman YMCA, Kakuri  and Treasurer of the center, Mrs Rhoda Nerus Kanwai, said, what informed the training,  “the idea came basically, seeing the need around the environment where the centre is situated, we felt that the less privileged, widows and school dropouts can be helped, trained, in skill acquisition,

” to empower them and give them a livelihood, seeing the hard times, in which we are in the nation, so this was the hard cry that birthed this August occasion”

According to her, “this is just the beginning but we are praying that it continues as long as we have supporters that will help sponsor and be a part of the program”

She advised the beneficiaries to value what they have been given and put it to work, ” because whatever you value you respect, whatever you respect you honour and let them value what has been given to them and put it to practice and I believe they will be happy one day that they were trained” she averred.

While calling on other women to take advantage of the opportunity in future programs to be trained, said ” it’s a welcome call we were expecting  more people to come and benefit from this, it’s our joy to see people become self reliant, so we are happy, if they can come in and join the YMCA, we are mainly to service the community” she stressed.

Similarly, the YMCA Secretary, Mr Simon Duchi, while appreciating God for the success of the weeklong training, said ” it is something that we have actually envisioned long ago, but due to shortage of resources we’ve not being able to..but God has given us this opportunity that we’ve been able to do this training”

He said , this first phase of the training is specifically targeted at women after a needs analysis on the community was conducted which revealed that  a lot of women are sitting idle, which actually is not helpful “so with this training, we thank God, we see it as an opportunity to empower these women with these skills that even after now they will be able to do little things that will bring income to them and fend for themselves, and we trust God that he’ll grant us more opportunity to impact more Women,

” It’s our desire that we will be able to do more than this, but due to the non availability of funds, this is what we can do for now” he added.

While appealing for support from spirited individuals and organizations to sponsor the laudable initiative, so that more less-privileged women and girls can benefit, said the training would further hold upon availability of funds adding that next year, the training will upgrade ” it’s going to be a school on its own” offering basic and advance courses among others.

One of the Facilitators and CEO Hannila Cakes and More, Kaduna, Mrs Hannatu Joseph Bonns, said the training centered on general catering and introduction to baking, ” so we are able to train/ learn quite a number of different types of snacks, like egg roll, Buns, puf-puf, we did Samosa, spring roll, which falls under the small chops, then we did chin-chin also, then we did 3 types of cakes, (pink, chocolate and  red velvet cakes) oil base and butter base cake, we did fried rice and jollof rice,” she added

While urging the graduands saying ” we cannot overemphasize our encouragement for them to put into practice what they have learned, it is very key and very important for them to put to use what they have learned and we have trusted God that aside putting it to work they should be able to trust God for the resources to be able to start up that business and above all rely on God for the blessing that He will crown anything they put their hands to do”

While stressing the need for spirited individuals and groups to key in, collaborate and compliment their efforts, she charged the beneficiaries to give back to society what they have received  ”  we have people today in the community, society languishing in poverty and lack opportunities of businesses, some have the business ideas,  but don’t have funding, 

” so organizations should come in this aspect to partner with people by creating a platform for people to learn these things, using us and then given a start up, little capital for them to start and build on it” she stated.

 One of the beneficiaries, Ladi Edward, impressed said  “I’m privileged to be a part of this YMCA one week empowerment program on catering and pastry, it has been an amazing experience, I have learned some and for the little I know before I have added knowledge, It has been a beautiful experience for me I  have gotten a lot of encouragement, alot of creative ideas on what I can do with my time, even as I am growing up. alot of thing that I can create, invest and to also impact life for now on from what I have learned here.

” and I am really grateful that I was given this opportunity, a very big thank you to YMCA, Our coordinator, our teachers, thank your, I learned how to make cakes, small chops, pastries, chin chin, Donuts, egg rolls, we made zobo, fried rice, we were given other knowledge as well, and it was very beautiful” 

In the same vein, Ladi Yaga, while expressing satisfaction on the knowledge acquired said when she was asked to participate, she felt the need to leave every other thing to be at this training to increase her knowledge , 

“” I have learned over 7 skills/items, infact I am really happy to improve on how to do my cakes and bons and other pastries, to impress my customers and others, adding ” so I saying thank you to YMCA, my joy is overwhelming and may God bless us,  in all that we will do in life” she prayed