Godbless Eduviere
Determined to tackle unemployment in Nigeria, Empowerment for the Less Privileged, ELP, has offered basic orientations to the seventh set of graduands on entrepreneurship, Tagged ‘Skills Acquisition as an Economic Development’, which held recently at Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Akoka, Lagos.
The keynote speaker, Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, speaking on SOAR, a message which she extracted from Isaiah 40:31, she said: “S stands for Sense of Purpose and commitment to serve, O stands for Open and attune to opportunities that abound, A stands for Aggressiveness about achieving excellence and R stands for Remembering your responsibilities. “Commit to a life of service and fight hard against the tide of self-preservation that pervades the younger generation to think about the other.
You must commit to figuring out your life’s purpose and why you were born and don’t waste too much time on computer and phone doing nothing because what will differentiate you from others beyond grades, is your ability to display life and leadership skills, and the practical experience that you have gained. I urge you to actively look for opportunities to learn and grow. “Grit, perseverance and courage lead to great achievements. Be aggressive about achieving excellence and always surround yourself with people who share your values.
Nothing absolutely nothing can replace sheer hard work, tenacity, discipline, so be disciplined about how you spend your time and your resources. Always remember your responsibilities,” she said congratulating the graduands and commending the efforts of the Patron and Founder, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, and the Board of Trustees, for transforming lives of thousands of youths and families.
The Chairman, ELP, Mr. Alex Okoh, who welcomed guests who to the seventh graduation ceremony, said, “Today, the ELP foundation graduating 256 students and we are very proud that the seed of this foundation which was planted in year 2000 is giving a fresh lease of life, hope and limitless possibilities to thousands of souls. “Giving hope to the less-privileged and constantly empowering people across nations for self sustenance and alleviating their pains is our part of our mission and this is taken seriously by the Board, hard working management and staff of the foundation.
“Accordingly, the foundation offers formal and informal education including health support to the underprivileged. We have provided free tutorial classes for more than 2500 students preparing for WAEC, NECO and JAMB, raise scholarships for brilliant but financially challenged students with 51 beneficiaries today. “Beyond formal education, over 3000 students have been graduated from free vocational training in welding and metal works, computer soft and hardware training, fashion designing, hair dressing, hair barbing, soap making amongst others.
“With regards to our health programme, the foundation has donated 240 wheel chairs to various health institutions and health services including free diabetes test, genotype test, blood pressure test as well as offering free mobile clinics, free counseling and therapy for individuals at public events but all of these wouldn’t have been possible without selfless supports of generous well wishers and philanthropic individuals like Cakasa Nigeria Ltd, which has trained about 33 of our students in metal and engineering works, Exxon Mobil also donated 40 computer systems.
Stanbic IBTC which has trained about 60 students in various skills acquisition programmes among the long list of other like-minded sponsors and of course the huge financial, material and time contributed by the patron and founder, Dr. Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Trustees and associates of the Foundation”, the chairman, Mr. Alex Okoh said, congratulating the graduands for having the diligence and sense of purpose of going through the training and coming our successful and urged them to put the newly acquired skills into work.”
Okonkwo said he was grateful to God to be alive and see the vision of the foundation being unfolded every day. He thanked the Guest speaker for the great presentation and also commended efforts of the teachers for the sacrifices made to ensure that lives are being transformed. “For graduands here today, there’s much more that God has invested in your life. There’s nothing like accident with God. It doesn’t matter whichever way you were born, background or what anyone thinks about you.
The most important thing, you must know is that God knows about you. He has a colorful future for you and like our guest speaker rightly said, you are the leaders of today and tomorrow. “I want to let you know that in every day of your life, there will always be two invitations that will come to you and the choice you will make determines what will happen to your life because God respect your choice.”
Nigeria is a developing country and every challenge in this country is an opportunity. Every problem we have in this country today is an opportunity to excel, so make up your mind not to join others in the society who doesn’t want to do anything. Ensure that you must be the best in the society and a shining example,” the founder, Bishop Mike Okonkwo said, urging graduands to be God fearing, hardworking and to empower others.
