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Founder of Hope Builders Foundation for Physically Challenged, Dr. Christiana Kehinde Akinrinmade, has urged women, youths, and physically challenged individuals to embrace skill development, urging them to harness available opportunities to reach their full potential.
Speaking at an event commemorating International Women’s Day 2024 in Ikorodu, Lagos, Akinrinmade emphasized the importance of skill acquisition for individuals facing various challenges.
The gathering, titled “Youth-Powered Ecosystem To Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH),” aimed to highlight the efforts of the YPE4AH project in promoting gender equality and empowering adolescent girls within intervention communities. Additionally, it sought to shed light on the multifaceted challenges faced by adolescent girls, including education, employment, poverty, health, gender-based violence, early marriage, and human rights.
Akinrinmade, a visually impaired person who herself is a teacher despite her disability, challenged stereotypes surrounding disabilities, stating, “Don’t underestimate what a blind woman can contribute. Mental capacity knows no physical bounds. Despite losing one sense, my other faculties are fully operational. I am capable of teaching; blindness does not define me.”
She emphasized the transformative power of acquiring skills, sharing her own journey of obtaining a certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Lagos Business School. “I refused to let my disability define my destiny. I chose not to be a recipient of charity but a provider. Acquiring skills elevates one’s status and opens doors to opportunities,” she asserted.
Encouraging individuals with disabilities to pursue knowledge and expertise, Akinrinmade highlighted the impact of her acquired skills, extending her influence beyond Lagos State and even Nigeria.
In essence, her message resonated with the importance of self-empowerment and skill development as pathways to personal fulfillment and societal contribution, irrespective of one’s physical challenges.
