By: Felix Ikpotor
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has graduated 120 out of the 300 Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) currently engaged in its livelihood programmes.
The 120 persons were those who have completed their six months training in Fashion Designing and Photography.
Speaking at the close out ceremony for the graduands in Bori on Friday, Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, said the training is part of the Project’s deliberate policy to include the underserved population of Ogonis in the ongoing environmental remediation exercise in the area.
Zabbey explained that three years ago when he assumed office as PC HYPREP, he realised a critical gap in the engagement of Ogonis which was inclusivity for all categories of persons.
He said the close out ceremony is the outcome of several meetings with the Ogoni Persons Living With Disabilities (OPLWD).
”Three years ago, when this administrations started, we looked at the interventions of HYPREP in Ogoni, specifically in the area of lifelihood, and we felt that something was lacking because inclusivity is the watchword of the project. But as at then, the underserved population, women, people living with special needs, they were not properly captured in the affairs of the project.
”We called for the leadership of the Ogoni Persons Living With Special Needs, to come for a dialogue meeting, for planning, and today we are here in this hall to mark the close out ceremony of some of the members we have trained, ” he said.
The HYPREP PC noted that the training for the persons with special needs were specifically chosen by the beneficiaries themselves which includes fashion designing, photography, basic computer, fish farming and shoe making.
He informed that the Project would be graduating the remaining 180 beneficiaries in shoe-making, basic computer and fish farming soon.
Zabbey said the training is to make them financially independent and to contribute to their families and the society.
”We are not just graduating them after training them, we are giving them starter packs so that they can become financially independent, so that they can start contributing to their families and contribute to Ogoni economic revival.
” If they continue to depend on members of their families, then the pressure on the families will be unbearable. But after today, these 120 persons that we are graduating will have the opportunity of contributing to their families, contributing to their personal well-being, without depending on anybody. And we are not just giving them starter packs in the areas where they were trained, we are providing them with assistive devices that will enable them to operate these starter packs, ” he added.
He warned the beneficiaries against selling off their starter-packs, adding that a committee has been put in place by the Project to monitor progress of the beneficiaries and provide assistance where needed. He also tasked them to be ambassadors of the Project.
”Let me warn against sale of starter packs and to also inform every one of you that we are not ending the program today by graduating you and providing you with starter packs, we will continue to monitor your progress, we will continue to listen to you to understand the challenges you face in the market so that we will be able to support you in overcoming those challenges.
”So we would like to see the benefit of this training in your lives and businesses. We recently instituted a post-training tracking mechanism to monitor progress. On this note, I strongly advise that nobody should sell any of these starter packs and mobility items, ” he stated.
The HYPREP PC used the medium to intimidate the special needs community that the Project has created about 8000 direct job in Ogoni land including training of 2400 youths in high demand skills area.
Zabbey commended President Bola Tinubu for giving the Ogoni clean up project a national priority in his Renewed Hope Agenda and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal for his support for the Project.
Giving an overview of the training, Head, Livelihood Programme of HYPREP, Mrs. Josephine Nzidee, said selection for the training was done last year after a needs assessment session with the disability community in Ogoni.
She said five skills areas was picked for the 300 persons comprising 60 from each of the four local councils of Ogoniland.
Nzidee appreciated the Project Coordinator for including people with special needs across the four LGAs in the training programme.
She emphasized that HYPREP adopts the the bottom-top approach in implementing its livelihood programmes which has led to the successs being recorded on the livelihood programmes.
President of Ogoni Persons Living With Disabilities, Dr. Baridapdoo Ngo Joy appreciated HYPREP for providing succour to members of his association.
He called on the government, LGA heads and other organisations in Ogoniland to emulate the kind gesture of HYPREP by supporting the disability community in Ogoniland.
Port Harcourt Spectator reports that items such as sewing machines, cameras, hearing aids, mobility canes, wheel chairs and clutches were handed out to the beneficiaries.
