The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has concluded its first empowerment training program for survivors desirous of accessing the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund.
Coordinator of the DSVRT, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, in a statement on Tuesday said the training was in line with the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s mandate on ensuring survivors of domestic and sexual violence receive a holistic response and a new lease of life.
She said from trends seen in cases handled so far, at least 70 per cent of survivors are afraid to walk out of an abusive relationship because they are financially dependent on the abuser, adding that the empowerment training program was therefore conceived to serve as a pathway to new beginnings for survivors and also rebuild their self-esteem.
She said the training was done in partnership with SME 100 Africa, a youth-led organisation that inspires, empowers and equips young entrepreneurs and small and medium scale enterprises.
“Over a period of one month, participants were taken on different modules around the theme “Passion to Profit”. The modules include courses like accessing my passion, developing a vision, matching my skills with visions, goals setting, achieving your goals, business & professional ethics, assessing demand & market size, estimating cost, customer segmentation and effective communication. They were also trained in financial resources: sources of capital, money management, business planning, business model canvass, value creation.
“Participants who are desirous of gaining employment were also trained. They were taken on the various topics like Navigating the job market, employability skills, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, communication skills, emotional intelligence, teamwork, effective presentation skills, personal communication and entrepreneurship. They were also trained in writing an effective CV/ Resume and how to successfully navigate job interviews,” Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi said.
The DSVRT coordinator noted that at the end of the training, participants were given an opportunity to pitch their ideas to leading stakeholders in their respective industries.
“Most importantly, participants were assigned to mentors and given internship opportunities so as to further harness their skills and gain practical experience. There would also be opportunities for permanent job placements with support from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, who are also actively involved in the empowerment programme,” she said.
Besides, Vivour-Adeniyi said successful participants would also receive a start-up grant from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund for their respective businesses ideas, reiterating that it was another initiative of the State Government on taking practical steps in providing a support system for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State.
