It was excitement galore for the lucky 80 kids between ages 6 to 11 years old in Mowe who were empowered with new knowledge and skills at the weeklong empowerment/capacity building Sport and Leadership Boot Camp initiative held from 17 to 21 December 2024 at No 4 Salvation Road, Pakuro, Mowe in Ogun State under the mentorship of Dr. Oluwaseun Nariwoh, a seasoned empowerment and capacity building administrator cum Instructor.
Drawn from 25 Communities in Mowe and its environment, the 80 lucky Children were empowered with new knowledge and skills in Basketball, Table Tennis, French Language, Drumming, Dancing and Piano from the scratch based on each kid’s special interest while French Language and reading culture sessions were not optional but made compulsories for all participants according to Dr. Oluwaseun Nariwoh, the programme co-ordinator.
With ” Awaken The Giant, She Can 4.0” as the theme and packaged by the Additional Plus Sports and Education ( APSE) initiative in partnership with Women In Sports International, and supported by the Global Sports Mentoring programme of the US Department of State (GSMP), Additional Sport and Entertainment Pro Ltd (ASEP), Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Nigeria Table Tennis Federation ( NTTF), Nosa Creative Design and Yomade Equipment, the programme has the following as its main objective, bridging the gender equality gap, improving physical fitness and coordination, Enhance Creativity and Self Expression, Developing basic French language skills, boost reading comprehension and confidence, Expose the children to entrepreneurship and career opportunities, Foster grit, character, focus, precision and mental alertness in the girl child.
Insisting that gender inequality poses a significant challenge to the health, economic and psycho-social growth of our young girls at this crucial stage of their lives, Dr Oluwaseun Nariwoh called for proactive measures to be taken for the protection of the girl child in our society.
Talking from experience, Dr. Nariwoh, a table tennis star in her youthful days, said she knew what she suffered growing up as a child and wouldn’t want any girl child to pass through the same experience while growing up.
“They need to be guided and guided properly hence the establishment of “Awaken The Giant, She Can 4.0 ” programme which is its 4th edition this year”, she enthused
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Meanwhile following the enthusiasm and interest exhibited by the participants who didn’t want the programme to end, guest of honour, Rev Olatokunbo Olabamidele Jessy Odediya, the past Chairman of Zion Community, pleaded with Dr Nariwoh, the event coordinator to find a way of organizing the event at least twice every year as it has been helping in remoulding the girl children in the community.
Adding that it will expose them to a lot of opportunities in life and stop them from having unwanted pregnancies or becoming emergency mothers.
To the Ogun State government, Rev Odediya, charged them to encourage Dr Oluwaseun Nariwoh by supporting the programme which is helping to uplift Pakuro and the entire Zion Community not leaving the Salvation area in Mowe.
Some parents, Mr Oluseye Dorhaty and Mrs Dorcas, whose two children attended the empowerment and capacity-building programme, also joined the crusade in asking for more, as Oliver Twist will rightly do.
Some of the participants who cried for more include CC Adedeji Dorcas, a Jss 3 student of Advocate School, Mowe, Johnson Delight, a Jss 2 student of A White College, owe, and Moore Ololade of Aunty Ayo School, Mowe, the lead vocalist, among others.
At the end of the weeklong capacity-building exercise, the special guests presented all the participants with their certificates of participation.
