A Non–governmental Organization, ”Giving Value to women initiative of Nigeria” has trained no fewer than 20 commercial sex workers in Kaduna on various skills, Mrs Caroline Idoko, the Founder of the organization, said on Saturday.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Idoko said the training was aimed at changing the lives of the women for a better future, by becoming self-reliant, explaining that the programme was held at Sabon Tasha Area, a Kaduna suburb, and some other parts of the state.
Idoko said the organization started in 2015, for ladies of easy virtue, who left their families due to some circumstances including broken homes or victims of rape.
Since then, she said, the organisation had been carrying out sensitizations and imparting different skills to these young energetic ladies so as to change their lives for the better.
Idoko identified some of the skills imparted to include; Bead making, Household cleaning agents, Liquid soap for Carwash, Air-freshner, Bleach, Dettol, Izal, Cosmetics, Body spray, Hand wash, Body lotion, hair cream, shampoo, conditioner, Hair gloss, and Vaseline, among others.
She said,” I was moved to compassion when I discovered that a group of vibrant young skillful women sustain themselves through prostitution and sleeping with different men on daily basis to sustain a living.
“I started making friends with them and gradually, I got trusted by them and they accepted me and opened up”
“I have graduated 18 and next week God willing, I will graduate two others and send them home to stay with their friends or family, and start a new life with the skills they learned. ”
Idoko added that most of those that graduated years back were already making progress in their lives, with some even preparing to get married and continue with their lives.
She cited the lack of funds as one of her biggest challenges to enable her train hundreds of the young ladies, so as to save them from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and humiliation they faced from their customers.
” I only get support from friends and family and the outbreak of Covid-19 and the lockdown by state and Federal Government has put many of them into difficulties, as no organization supported them with any palliative”, she said.
Idoko pointed out that since the creation of the NGO , there had never been any material support from either the state government, corporate organizations or Civil Society Organizations to enable it transform the lives of the young ladies for the better.
She, therefore, called on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, humanitarian organizations, corporate bodies, philanthropists, to support the NGO with training materials, so as to make these young ladies quit prostitution and embrace skills that would better their lives.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed their satisfaction with the NGO and its efforts at transforming their lives, while calling for support to enable them learn new skills and ”quit this ugly job.”
