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Building skills for a peaceful future

Young people can contribute to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and recovery when they have opportunities to be economically self-reliant.

By UNDP NIGERIA

June 16^th, 2022

The provision of economic and livelihood opportunities for young people who have been displaced is vital in reducing armed violence and achieving social cohesion, stability and peace in communities affected by conflict. Engaging youth with new skills and sustainable work programmes can be a strategic entry point to mobilize them for peacebuilding. These programmes improve their economic prospects, while laying the foundation for sustainable peace.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Japan as well as Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba State Governments implemented a vocational and skills acquisition programme to train displaced young men and women in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. Over 490 beneficiaries, including more than 200 women, were empowered with vocational training for 3 to 6 months.

The skills training in the three states focused on agro-allied businesses such as tailoring, poultry, baking and confectionery, shoemaking, barbing, hair dressing and soap making. Beneficiaries were supported with start-up kits upon completion of training to enable sustainable means of livelihoods.

Meet some of the young men and women who have experienced enormous tragedies yet have emerged as stories of resilience and inspiration for others.

Patience Hembaor

Patience and her family were displaced from their village in Kaseyo, Guma, Local Government area of Benue State. They arrived in Gbajimba, where they settled in the Ugbam IDP camp. Like most of her friends, she could not continue her studies due to displacement and lack of access to finances. After being home for years and helping her parents on the farm, it was difficult for the 20 year old to find consistent employment given her lack of technical training.

When Patience heard about the Government and UNDP vocational training, she did not hesitate to apply.

“With this help, I and others have acquired skills from which we can earn a living. I am still improving my tailoring and it has become a reliable source of income” she explained.

Patience shared that the start-up kits participants received helpful to get her business going. “With the money that I now make, I can buy some household items to assist my family, which makes me proud”. Patience hopes to have her own shop in the future, and that she can inspire other young people in her community to become entrepreneurs as well.

Michael Nyerga

Michael, aged 19, lives with autism that affects his movement, coordination, and speech. Life has not been easy since the conflict forced him and his family to flee to Adogo community. opportunity to have a stable livelihood.

Michael has been grappling with many barriers, not just his physical disability but also discriminatory prejudice, stigma, and exclusion from full social and economic activities. All these setbacks have impacted his opportunity to have a stable livelihood.

“At first, I was profiled by community members and people thought that I wouldn’t be able to participate. But thanks to the organizers who gave me this opportunity, I have now been able to learn tailoring and now I can earn a living.”

Michael reflected that there are many people living with a variety of different disabilities who also face challenges with unemployment, but when they are given opportunities, they have the chance to be able to thrive.

Victoria Ishoho

14-year-old Victoria and her family were forced to leave their house in Tseshoho Village to settle in the Ugbam IDP camp in Benue State. Upon arrival, Victoria was keen on completing her secondary school education, which unfortunately did not happen due to lack of finances.

When her father mentioned a call for applications for vocational training in the IDP camp, she knew this was yet another opportunity to try and get a new skill. “I immediately applied for the tailoring training. Through this training, I can now support myself and even earn enough money through tailoring to go back to school”.

Her advice to other youth is to never give up on their pursuit for education. Victoria especially wants to echo this to young girls,

“Never give up, always take up the challenge and become education warriors. With hard work and dedication, always remember that anything is possible”.

Kingsley Danladi

Internally displaced from Okokolo in Benue State, Kingsley now lives in Aila IDP camp. “Life is difficult for a displaced person” he shared. “We arrived with nothing, my parents worked hard to provide for my siblings and I, but it has been tough. So, I decided to help myself by learning a trade, since education is no longer a possibility for me”.

Kingsly has always had an interest in being a barber, so learning it in 3 months became quite easy. I currently work under the supervision of the person that trained me, and I hope to get my own shop in future.”

Blessing Aondoka

At just 22 years of age, Blessing was forced to flee the Farmer-Herder crisis in Asama, Benue State. Upon reaching the IDP camp in Ugbam, she had little opportunity to earn money to continue her education and had to rely on her husbands income to provide for their family.

When she heard about the training, Blessing applied for the hair styling course which is something she has always been passionate about.

“I am really enjoying learning how to make different hair styles. I was given a standing dryer, hand dryer, washing basin, generator, and other small kits. After this training, I will work in a hair salon and I am hopeful that business will grow so that I can train other young people like me”.

Meet the trainers

Many young people in the Middle Belt and North-east Nigeria have had their dreams halted by a conflict that has been raging in the region for over a decade. The vocational training programme empowers young people to work together to rebuild their communities.

Meet some of the programmes trainers below:

Danladi Adana

Danladi, a barber from Obagaji is one of the trainers selected to train some of the displaced youth. He has been in the barbing business for 20 years and is able to support his wife and six children.

According to him “This initiative is a great example of enabling people affected by conflict to earn a decent living. I am happy to be selected as a trainer and confident that the people I have trained will be able to fend for themselves using their newly acquired skills.”

Bright Justina

After completing her secondary school education, Justina from Obagaji in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, was unable to proceed to university due to financial constraints. Instead, she learned hair dressing techniques and was selected as part of the trainers for the programme.

“When I learnt about the initiative, I was super excited and willing to support the young people in any way I could. It has not been easy, but I am happy to have made an impact on the lives of these individuals. I will also be able to employ some of the participants who have shown amazing interest and commitment in this trade”

Justina is hopeful that her business will grow so that she can train more youth in the community and increase her income as well.

Ladidi Sule

28-year-old, Ladidi knows how hard it can be to find employment for people who have been displaced. Ever since she can remember, helping others makes her happy. In 2017 she learnt how to sew and began a career as a tailor. Her urge to do something independently, earn a living and help others prompted her to open her own shop in which she now trains IDPs.

Ladidi shared that tailoring will always play a significant role in her life, “I see tailoring as a real art that requires serious skills. My ambition is to be a well-known expert tailor when it comes to sewing in this community”.

Glory Edoh

Glory from Obagaji, a graduate of University of Makurdi, developed a passion for baking and decided to open her own business after graduation. “At first I thought I would just learn baking during the COVID-19 pandemic to pass time while I waited to go for NYSC” she shared reflecting on her first days. “But I realized I had good skills and began diligently practicing. I gained more experience and was able to take care of myself with the proceeds.”

When she was selected as a trainer for the programme, Glory quickly noticed how committed the participants were to learning a new skill. Being a trainer has been a source of inspiration for Glory and she hopes to continue to share her passion for baking with other youth in her community.

This initiative is supported under UNDP’s Project for ‘Social Stability and Security of Conflict affected communities in Northeast and Middle Belt’ designed to enhance and foster social stability and peace through improved access to sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities of communities affected by conflict. Thanks to funds from the Government of Japan.