Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation in partnership with Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited have announced the completion of its women empowerment programme, tagged ‘Catalyst for change 2.0, with the graduation of 1000 women in Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area, Ikeja, Lagos.

At the closing ceremony which marked the conclusion of a four-week intensive skills acquisition training, the beneficiaries were each provided with start-up kits to help kick-start their businesses.

The women were trained in tie &dye, hair & make-up, wig making, fashion and designing, household essentials, bag and shoemaking, while business training modules were delivered by experienced facilitators with a focus on personal and product branding, business foundations and basic accounting.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) also provided support to the programme.

In her welcome address, Mrs Bukola Bamiduro, Founder/CEO, Karis and Eleos Foundation charged the women not to sleep on what they’ve been taught, but rather seek more knowledge and to partner with each other to attain greater heights and achieve more. She also urged them to be good ambassadors of the programme by first adding value to themselves, their families, communities and the nation at large.

Public affairs, communications and sustainability manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, charged the beneficiaries to place value on themselves so they can render value to others, and leave a legacy. “Start small to be a transgenerational business like Coca-cola that celebrated 126 years in business recently.” She said.

Before now, the “Catalyst for Change 2.0” had graduated about 3000 women in Alausa, Ikeja, Surulere and Ijora, after a four-week intensive skills acquisition training. The train moves to Alimosho area on Monday, May 17, to empower another set of graduands.

Launched in August 2020 by Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation in partnership with Coca-Cola Foundation, the first edition of the programme sought to ensure economic recovery during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following its success, a second edition is bring supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration caused by a lack of access to opportunities in vulnerable communities. So far, the programme, in its entirety, has seen the economic empowerment of a total of over 6,000 women and youths across several underserved communities in Nigeria.

The NGO believes that empowering women is a necessity for the development of our society, as it enhances both the quality and the number of human resources available for development.