Umuchoke community, Dikenafai, in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo state, on Tuesday, January, 2, 2024 inaugurated a skills a quisition project that is aimed at empowering the youths of the area with sustainable means of livelihood to ameliorate the effects of the prevailing mass unemployment in the state.
The Programme Manager, Mrs Clara Duru, a seasoned educationist, who traced the origin of the project, stated that , Nchoke Skills Acquisition Projects is the brain child of two illustrious sons of the community, namely;MrJohn Asomugha and Azubuike Erinugha, who, in the course of their discussions while in Germany, at about the year, 2007, came up with the idea of setting up a skills acquisition project where youths of the area will be groomed on how to use their hands and brain to earn aliving and be useful to themselves and the community, in line with the biblical injuction that says, teach a child in the way he should grow and even when he is old, he will not depart, from it.
Mrs Duru, further stated that the skills acquisition project is geared towards creating more awareness on entrepreneurship and potential career opportunities for the participants who will be trained by well qualified and highly experienced resource persons who will give them hands-on training in line with their areas of comparative advantage.
The participants are also expected to train others on completion of their training , thereby duplicating and transferring the knowledge they acquired , while also creating more job opportunities.
She recalled that two film projects, namely, “Brothers” and a collaboration with Germany and “Funeral of Fire” that attracted the presence of actors and actresses of national and international repute alongside crew members were shot in Nchoke.
While, between September, 18 and October, 4, 2020, a Netflix film project, “Chibogu”, was located and facilitated in Nchoke. The opportunity, according to her, was used to train about 25 youths if Nchoke and Dikenafai in the process titled “A Workshop on Film Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment”.
Speaking on what kindled their interest, the initiators of the project, John Asomugha Durumba and Azubuike Erinugha , said they were motivated by what they saw in Germany, where people go to factories to learn the practical aspects of various trades and thereafter make their marks in different fields of human endeavour.
“The mandate therefore, is to recruit and register participants, organize hands-on sessions with the aim of exposing them to skills and enterpreneurial opportunities.
“These skills are expected to build potential careers and other self development tools towards youth empowerment. In other to ensure proper engagement with the participants, the initiative will support individual talents among the participants and train them on how to harness their skills and talents to empower themselves and contribute to the advancement of their immediate society”.
The President General of Nchoke Autonomous Community, Chief Barr. Tony Duru and members of his executive were also commended for their support, advice and willingness to respond when ever they are called upon.
The keynote speaker, Chief Joachin Olumba ( Omekannaya Nchoke) and veteran Nollywood actor, Austin Awujor, urged the participants to always be humble, patient, focused and determined to succeed despite all odds, while the Traditional Ruler of Nchoke, HRH, Eze, Christopher Obieshi, Eze Udo 1 of Nchoke and Rev Fr Stanley, who also hails from Nchoke, prayed for God^s blessings on the initiators and facilitators of the project and others of like mind.
Some of the dignitaries present at the occasion are, Comrade Thaddeus Emejuru, National President, Orluzurumee Youth Assembly (OYA), Chief Dr and Mrs Fidelis Ezewike,( Dikeoha Nchoke), Chief Barr Tony Duruozo, President General, Nchoke Autonomous Community, Mrs Clara Duru, Programme Manager, Chigozie Ibekwe, Programme Officer/General Secretary of Nchoke, the Igwe of Nollywood, Austin Awujor and his younger brother, Frank Awujor, who is also a Nollywood actor, among others.
