A Lagos-based civil society group, Youth Advocate For Change (YAFC) working among the slum residents of Makoko, Lagos is set to graduate eight out of over 20 out of school youths currently under its care.
YAFC with its Slum to Classroom Project Initiative has made remarkable mark in youth development in Makoko.
The beneficiaries of the Slum to Classroom Project Initiative in Hawule Haute Couture, Oko-Agbon, Makoko are scheduled to graduate on the 1st of October 2016.
According to the Project Director, Adeola Ogunlade, “Slum to classroom is a community development project that is aimed at providing life skills and educational opportunities to out of school children and youths in slums and marginalised communities in Nigeria.”
The Hawule Haute Couture centre is primarily a vocational centre where YAFC has been working to provide free literacy classes for the apprentices.
The students who have spent four years in the couture have learn the art of Tailoring, Soap and Bead making.
YAFC also revealed that, “80% of the recipients of the project are young people who have not been in any formal school while about 20% of them drop out before primary six due to lack of funds or the indifference on the part of their parents or guardian to education.”
Ogunlade in a release made available to Nationalwire.com.ng said “The intervention has been very effective because the youth who could not speak in English Language now can only write basic alphabets in English language and can now construct short sentences in English. The intervention is also helping them to identify various objects in English language among others.”
*Story by Dayo Emmanuel