July 3, 2012 will remain evergreen in the history of skills acquisition and poverty alleviation in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general.

The Divine Daughters of Destiny, a women outreach ministry of the Redemption Ministries, on this day put paid to innuendoes and the antics of skeptics earlier expressed two years ago when the first phase of a skills acquisition initiative was executed by it.

What started like a normal, casual church worship, in a rainy morning, left attendees obviously skeptical about the anticipated turnout, only to take an unprecedented dimension as both granduands and guests defied the rains to find their way to the auditorium of the Redemption Ministries, venue for the graduation ceremony.

It was the graduation ceremony of a second phase of a skills acquisition initiative of the Divine Daughters of Destiny, a vision though captured by the Senior Pastor of the Church, Rev. Stephen Akinola and sold to the women outreach ministry, Divine Daughters of Destiny (DDD) for onward execution.

Like the famous South African president, Nelson Mandela would say, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” it is not in doubt that participants and beneficiaries of this arduous gesture, would in life, owe their gratitude to these distinguished daughters of repute, the DDD.

Contrary to insinuations that the scheme was only a privilege exclusively for the church faithfuls’ participations were not only interdenominationally based, participants included people from outside the state and most importantly, at no cost!

The auditorium that was filled with beneficiaries of the programme, guests and well wishers, witnessed an atmosphere of thunderous shouts of joy and ovations, as participants filed out in their numbers to receive their certificates.

However, apart from the joy of being certificated for completing a course, what makes the scheme or initiative more laudable is the fact that it wasn’t a wild goose chase. It was rather a mission accomplished, the participants or students as they were called went, saw and they conquered.

Directly behind the auditorium, was a large hall, where the products from the acquired skill were exhibited. Wao! A trade fair arena of sort, could this have been an outcome of just a month’s devotion? What crop of instructors were used? Then, the students too must have been unique species of brains hitherto wasting away.

Suffice it to say that it took a marriage of good brains and ready minds to achieve what was witnessed in the exhibition hall.

Pastor Mrs Matilda Akinola, wife of the Senior Pastor, Rev. Stephen Akinola, recounts that in 2009 the sum of two million naira only (N2m) was raised to empower some hundreds of women while the year 2010 witnessed the first phase of the skills acquisition project which she described as beautifully executed. “We looked at a lot of women and we decided that instead of being idle, (most of them we discovered that when their husbands die, they become penniless and powerless) let’s empower as many as we can,” she said. “I know they are blessed, I’m sure they will do better next time. With this, somebody will put food on his or her table. I feel great, I feel happy because somebody is being empowered, somebody is being enriched and we discovered talents that had been hidden,” she added.

Although visions are personal, Pastor Mrs Akinola believes that if other ministries could key in, together they could go a long way in assisting the government to eradicate poverty and empower the masses.

For the provost of the skills acquisition school, Pastor Mrs Ibe, the exhibition has spoken for its self. Attesting to the degree of assimilation of the skills so far acquired, Pastor Ibe said some persons in painting class, sewing and decoration have already gotten the contracts to demonstrate their skills.

One of the granduands, Ruth Izuma, who acquired skill in paint making and painting, said in one month, she was able to acquire the necessary skill in painting and paint making. In her words “my product is preferred among the crowd, I produce textcote, emulsion, different kind of pigments, oil paints, white wash, red oxide etc”. Izuma averred that even though others play on quality she can’t.

Ruth said she has already been awarded a contract to produce a specific quantity and quality of paints for a building, she reafirmed her pleasure in the trade she has chosen.

Meanwhile, Rev Stephen Akinola has said that the programme was an open one for all comers; he therefore, promised that it will always and ever be an open programme.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi