The State Employment and Expenditure for Result Project (SEEFOR) has trained 7226 indigenes from the Eight Local Government Councils of Bayelsa State on Mentorship over Money Management and Entrepreneurship Skills in the State.
According to SEEFOR, the training and empowerment scheme is a scheme sponsored by the World Bank and the European Union is part of efforts to stop youth restiveness, which is the root cause of kidnapping, pipeline vandalism and armed robbery in Bayelsa State.
The Communication Director in the Bayelsa office of the SEEFOR, Mr. Tarinyo Akono, explained that 7226 beneficiaries of the project in Sagbama are set to receive their N5000 compulsory monthly savings soon and that the training is designed to teach them to invest wisely.
He said “this set of beneficiaries, 7226 in total have concluded their one year engagement and there is the need to give them training on money management, so that when they receive their N5000 monthly compulsory savings, they can start a small scale business to enable them grow and make money for themselves.
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“Through this will become more respected and employer of labour. We that with this most of our youths will not go back to the street begging as we usually see them do or engage in any form of social vices.
“Since we began we have been able to locate and track the progress of 2000 beneficiaries of this project and the success rate is 85 per cent. And out of the 85 per cent more than 80 per cent are women. This means women are doing better in setting and management of small scale businesses.”
A beneficiary, Miss Odogu Janet, who announced her desire to invest her savings in fashion designing business, said her aim is to grow the business so she could employ other youths in her community, Toru-Orua in Sagbama LGA.
Also Speaking, Mr. Odubo Amos who hails from Ebedebiri Community in Sagbama Local Government Area, declared her intention to invest in shoe making business “so that I can be self reliant and not depend on people to give me money to feed and cater for myself.”
Earlier at the occasion, the Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Council, Mr. Embelakpo Alale, said the SEEFOR through the employment of youths into its small public works and maintenance projects have given many unemployed young graduates in Bayelsa the opportunity to be self reliant and employers of labour.
He said “the SEEFOR has done a lot in 9ur communities and the interesting thing is that they have not abandoned any project they embarked on. If you go to my Community, Agbere, you will find SEEFOR projects scattered everywhere.
“I want to urge all the beneficiaries to save and invest their allowances wisely, and with this pattern we can jointly eliminate youth restiveness which happens to be the root cause of kidnapping, pipeline vandalism and armed robbery.”
