28th October, 2016
One hundred women and youths from across Benue State who were trained in different skills by the SEV-AV (New Dawn) Foundation Arts and Skills Acquisition Centres graduated on Friday.
SEV AV Foundation is the pet project of the wife of immediate past Governor of Benue, Mrs Dooshima Suswam.
Speaking at the occasion, Mrs Suswam expressed satisfaction that the NGO had positively affected on the lives of the people and helped in reducing poverty in the state.
She said that the six-month course attracted no fee or cost to the trainees.
Suswam said that the programme was designed to provide opportunities for those living below the poverty line to realise their full potential and become entrepreneurs and employers of labour.
According to her, aside the 100 new graduates, the centres in Vandeikya, Gboko and Makurdi have produced over 5,000 skilled and qualified technicians in various fields of craft technology.
She said that a survey showed that most of the graduates from the centre had established thriving businesses, while others were gainfully employed in the public and private sectors.
Suswam appealed to rich individuals across the state to take advantage of the centres and sponsor jobless people in their localities, saying the Otukpo and Katsina-ala centres were ready.
The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of sewing, grinding machines and other working tools to the various categories of graduates for them to set up their own businesses.