The wife of the Edo State Governor, Iara Oshiomhole, on Tuesday flagged off the first phase of the skill acquisition training programme for Internally Displaced Persons in Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.

She also flagged off sports competition for other male and female IDPs, who could not be selected for the training.

The training programme tagged “Project Focus” which would benefit 160 young and adult IDPs, is being facilitated through the governor’s wife pet project, “We Care Trust” in collaboration with Ella P Collections and the Edo State Government.

For 10 days, the four different groups, each comprising 40 participants and made up of mostly girls and women, will receive training on basic, creative and food processing skills such as production of fabric accessories, tailoring materials, fabric, sandals and bags, catering and food processing, fishing, snail rearing and vegetable farming as well as information and communication technology training.

Declaring the training open, Mrs. Oshiomhole urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the programme to reintegrate into the society and better their lives.

She expressed joy over the seriousness the beneficiaries were attaching to the programme and promised to continue to assist them even after it had been concluded.

The first lady, who addressed the trainees and their resource persons in their respective groups, took a tour of the groups to see their activities and what they had made in the last two days that the programme had been held.

She noted that the equipment and tools brought for the training, including brand new sewing machines, brand new gas cookers and gas cylinders laptops projector and screen, were for participants and camp use.

“I believe that there is need for a determined effort by all to support you with the skills and resources to enable you to reintegrate into the society,” Mrs. Oshiomhole said.

“It is hoped that at the completion of the training programme, beneficiaries would have been well equipped to provide services to people within and outside the camp, thereby making them self-reliant.”

“In addition, they can also serve as resource persons to train others in the camp.”

A facilitator at the tailoring and fabric centre, Ella Samir, said the participants were learning faster than expected.

The camp coordinator, Solomon Folorunsho, a pastor, thanked the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and the first lady, for facilitating the programme.

He urged the government to extend more training assistance to others who are not part of this process.

At the catering centre, PREMIUM TIMES observed that participants were seen being taken through the process of making popular local snacks such as Kilishi, Damonana and Dawanke while those at the fabric centre were observed being taught how to cut fabric to appropriate measurements before sewing.