From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
For four consecutive years (2000 to 2024), an Enugu based Non-Governmental-Organisation(NGO) known as the Potters Wheel Foundation, has demonstrated its passion to curtailing unemployment rate by training women and youths in the state on vocational and entrepreneurial skills that will make them self reliant and be productive in the society.
In partnership with Enugu state government. the Foundation was given a comfortable accommodation at one of the stalls at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium where workshops. seminars and practical sections are demonstrated for trainees free of charge.
The Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Potters Wheel Foundation, Mr Godwin Onuzuluike said the gesture is a divine calling to help willing unemployed youths both graduates and non graduates and the women to sort out themselves, as it has become abundantly clear that white collar jobs merely exists.
He disclosed that in the past four years over ten thousand youths and women have excelled through the vocational skills rendered freely by his organisation.
The willing women and youths were tutored on how to manufacture household commodities as liquid soap, hair cream,laundry soap,bleach, perfume, hair shampo perfumes, disinfectants. antiseptic, etc, including edibles like peanuts, chin chin. custard and zobo drink.
The Potters Wheel Foundation chief executive officer, Mr Onuzuluike, disclosed that one good aspect of the products remains the fact that the raw materials are sourced in the local markets where as the final products can compete farourably with the imported ones.
Mr Onuzulike disclosed that Enugu state alone will be saving over fifty thousand dollars annually spent on importation of foreign soaps, detergents and creams, if their trainees are patronis.
Speaking at the event to mark the graduation and issuance of certificates to 2024 trainees held at Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium on Saturday,June 29, the Enugu state commissioner for gender affairs commended the Foundation for the gesture.stating the vocational training will lift the women and youths out of poverty,as they will henceforth be contributing meaningfully to the upkeep of their respective family and the society.
The representative of National Directorate of Employment, Mrs Ada Ozokwo,said the organisation is happy with what Potters Wheel Foundation is doing in Enugu state. She urged the participants to utilise the opportunity provided by Potters Wheel Foundation to llearn one or two skills that will earn them a source of living,since white collar jobs hardly exist in Nigeria at the moment.
The unique feature of the Potters wheel 2024 graduation and issuance of certificate ceremony for its trainees was the fact that it accommodated trainees from it’s outreach training held at Mbaogu Kingdom in Oji River local government area of Enugu state.
In compliance to the wish of the citizens that Potters Wheel Foundation should extend its gesture to the rural areas.Mbaogu kingdom was the first community to be granted the favour through the passionate appeals of their concerned citizens, Mr Eric Chukwubuikem Oluedo.
The 57 women and youths who participated actively in the training and practical sections held at ‘Ujiri Square Mbaogu Kingdom’ were part of the over two thousand graduands who received certificates of the training at Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium.
At the end of their training. prior to the graduation ceremony at Enugu, the trainees from Mbaogu Kingdom received double assurance that they will be assisted by well to do citizens in the community to go into large scale production if they team up as cooperatives.
