The Ecuadorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Leopoldo Rovayo in company of his wife Mrs Lucia, recently visited some select ladies during one of the special class sessions, where he applauded the Elbativeni Foundation/Elbativeni Impressions and Consult’s ‘Project Loop Her’- a free six months ICT training programme.
The free six months ICT training programme for select ladies empowerment program was launched at the last edition of ‘The Generation Next Youth Empowerment Summit’ organised by the trainers in collaboration with the Embassy of Ecuador in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communication’s Commission (NCC), Nanet Hotels and other partners.
Ambassador Leopoldo Rovayo who is the immediate past Ecuador Ambassador in Nigeria, said ”In 2015 I took the challenge to open a new Embassy here, but I really have enjoyed working here in Nigeria in a way and I have learnt a lot from Nigeria and from Africa. I am very sensitive to all the social issues and I have always tried in my 2 and half years to find reliable partners to do something for the Nigerian people. So through the Journalists forum that we support every month talking about issues that they want to know, we found also Elbativeni Foundation.”
“ We found this foundation and I found out that they are reliable, so we began to talk about the support of their youth empowerment summit in October last year. But I should say that unfortunately, a lot of people that appear who come to the Embassy to propose a lot of things, propose to make Ecuadorian-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce to make this or make that have disappeared. I searched them a bit, they are not reliable, so at the end of the day we try because we are small we don’t have too many resources but we try to find out reliable people to work with.”
“So for the Embassy it’s a pleasure to have this support because on Saturdays we are doing other things not working here. So for us, it’s very important that the foundation could use this facility. I have requested my government for a new representative as I know that Nigerian government takes four months to give the agreement and part of my recommendation is that they continue this partnership with the foundation.”
He urged the participants to utilise the opportunity to reinvent themselves to become useful to their immediate families and the society at large.
As it stands, twenty (20) women are benefiting from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training courtesy of Elbativeni Foundation and Elbativeni Impressions and Consult, non-governmental organizations based in Abuja; bridging the gap in women’s involvement in technology.
According to the Chairman of the foundation, and CEO of Elbativeni Impressions and Consult Ms Destiny Ruth Obiakoeze “ The foundation’s advocacies are on youths, youth development, youth empowerment, women development and empowerment as well as the girl child accordingly. We have amongst our project targets, The Generation Next Youth Empowerment Summit will be be hosting in October of this year, Girls In ICT and Project Loop Her in addition to many other projects we will do. Project Loop Her is a training to empower women and get them interested in ICT and STEM.
“Our ladies are trained on App development, Website Development, Digital Marketing, Digital Skills, Graphics etc. Project LoopHer would help them actually begin to see the need to get involved in ICT to make money out of it and to begin to look forward to opportunities that are available and grab them. So we want them to come out tech women and we want a situation where the ripple effect begins to spread out. Ultimately we want to make sure that we are doing our own parts in empowering the society in community dvelopement. So we are constantly looking for partners.
“We collaborate with everybody, government, corporate organizations, and individuals to ensure that we are doing our own part. We will continue to do so. If most people and corporate organizations who like what we do with our youths, girl-child or women projects can assist to fund it, we will be even better enabled to do more.’
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Ms Jade Olise who thanked the Ambassador and the Embassy noted that words could not quantify the impact of the project on their lives . She appreciated the support of the Ambassador and the Embassy in encouraging the foundation and the empowerment project.
Elbativeni Foundation is incorporated in Nigeria under the Corporate affairs commission and formed out of the need to Advance Youth Development in Nigeria and the continent of Africa and to lend voice to progressive gender Advocacies through strategic and targeted schemes or projects.