By Francis Sadhere, Warri
Shola Mese foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of drug addicts and ex-convicts in the society during the weekend graduated 23 youths on various vocational skills in Warri, Delta State.
The twenty-three youths who were selected from the streets of Warri and environs were enrolled at the Shola Mese free skill acquisition centre one year ago, and were trained in tailoring, baking, make-up, and other vocational skills.
Founder of the Shola Mese Foundation, Deacon Shola Mese, who spoke during the ceremony, noted that drug abuse was the reason why so many of our youths get themselves involved in criminal activities.
According to Mese, “It is difficult to find old people going into drugs abuse because they know that it was not good for them. But the youths want something that will make them high and forget themselves when they want go into criminal activities.”
He advised the graduands to start little and not wait for someone to come and help them before they put their skills to use, adding that any of them that those not see where to work will be employed by him.
“For those of you in the catering department, you don’t have to wait until you have plenty of money before you start. You can start by baking chinchin, small cakes and the rest. You can take these thing and go into some offices to sell them. You will be surprised the people will petronize you, just give it a name, if you don’t have name to give to it, come to me and I will give it a name for you to start with. No matter the amount of money you have, you can start anything with it,” Mese said.
Representative from the Nigerian Prison Service, Warri, Reid Omoko, CSP Operations, who also spoke during the ceremony said, “I want to advise the graduands that apart from these skills that you have acquired, it very important that you also acquire formal education.”
Jimitota Onoyume of the Vanguard Newspaper also advised the young graduands not to go about thinking of committing suicide, a trend he said was becoming rampant in the country.
“What Shola Mese foundation has succeeded in doing is that he has given you a life line. It is now your responsibility to go out to the world and showcase yourself,” Jimitota said.
