By Dalhatu Liman
The Iranian Embassy in Nigeria has trained 10 schoolgirls from different schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in income-generating skills, including lip gloss production and fashion accessories making.
Also read: What to do when you have Nosebleed
The training was organised in partnership with the Queen’s Care and Empowerment Foundation as part of efforts to equip young girls with practical skills they could develop into small businesses in the future.
The programme, held on Saturday at the Iranian Embassy in Abuja, divided the participants into two groups of five. While one group learnt how to produce lip gloss, the other was trained to transform discarded Ankara fabric scraps into fashionable accessories.
The girls later displayed their finished products at an exhibition attended by ambassadors, diplomats and other invited guests.
Speaking at the event, the founder and Executive Director of the Queen’s Care and Empowerment Foundation, Ambassador Dr Ruqayya Ahmed, said the initiative was designed to give children opportunities to discover and develop their talents.
Ahmed said although she enjoyed opportunities to explore different creative activities while growing up, many children did not have similar opportunities.
She said the foundation was working with partners and sponsors to bridge the gap by creating platforms where schoolchildren could learn, experiment and express themselves.
She explained that encouraging creativity among children would help develop their curiosity, confidence and other abilities needed to become productive members of society.
She urged stakeholders to support initiatives that promote children’s rights and provide opportunities for them to reach their potential.
One of the participants, 14-year-old Paul Rachel, a student of Grace Baptist School, Mpape, Abuja, said she learnt how to make lip gloss and believed the skill could help her earn money.
She thanked the Iranian Embassy and the organisers for providing the opportunity, adding that the experience had taught her that every child had a skill that could be developed.
Rachel also appealed to parents to identify their children’s abilities and support them in developing their talents.
A fashion designer and one of the trainers, Amira, described the initiative as innovative, particularly the idea of transforming discarded fabric into useful and fashionable accessories.
She said leftover fabrics often thrown away after sewing could be creatively repurposed into valuable products.
In his welcome address, the Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, said every child deserved the opportunity to discover their talents, develop confidence and dream of a better future.
He said the programme went beyond producing lip gloss and fashion accessories, stressing that its greater value lay in the practical abilities and confidence the participants could gain.
The ambassador commended the foundation, instructors and other partners for supporting the initiative, adding that empowering girls was an investment in families, communities and society.
He also highlighted efforts by diplomatic missions of D-8 member countries to develop a joint initiative known as D-8 Charity Day, which would promote cooperation in humanitarian causes, particularly children’s welfare, education and the empowerment of women and girls.
The event attracted ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions, government officials and representatives of various organisations. It ended with the presentation of certificates to the participants and an exhibition of their finished products.
Leave a Comment