The Society for Support
and Welfare of Under Privileged (SSWUP) last Sunday organised a free skills acquisition training and empowerment programme for women and youths in Ojo in Lagos State.
The Executive Director of the group, Mrs Jessica Ndupu, told  newsmen on the sidelines of the training programme that the group was set up to respond to the needs of underprivileged
Ndupu said that youths, under the privileged children and women, were the major beneficiaries of the skills acquisition, entrepreneurial training and humanitarian programme of the organisation.
She said the arrangement was part of efforts to contribute towards the development and eradication of poverty in the country.
According to her, training and equipping the talents and women in acquiring knowledge will go a long way in reducing poverty and corruption in the society.
“If a woman is self-reliant, a great burden will be removed from her husband and the society.
“The same thing applies to youths.
“Once they have been identified and trained on what to do, they become independent of themselves,’’ she said.
Ndupu said that skills such as bead making, small scale businesses, dress making, soap making, catering and interior decoration are some of the areas that the trainees specialised in.
She solicited for financial support from the Federal Government and private individuals to be able to create more centres across the country.
She said that donations would also empower youths and women who were classified as the most vulnerable in the society to eradicate unemployment and idleness.
“There is great challenge in training these people as the facilities on ground cannot cover a whole lot of trainees we have.
“We therefore need the intervention of the Federal Government and private donations to be able to reduce corruption in the country, “she said.
Mrs Grace Afolabi, one of the trainees and a housewife, said she was ready to learn and train others.