The Rural Women Vocational Institute for Education and Development (RuWVIED) handed certificates of completion to 10 graduates from its department of Computer and Secretaryship, and the department of Tailoring, Dressmaking and Fashion Designing. The ten graduating students received the certificates in Ndop as a testimonial of their knowledge and experience at the end of their study.
In a bid to assist and empower out of school girls and women, RuWVIED offers capacity building, helping women/girls to get skills, be self reliant and gain employability. RuWVIED has been running training programmes in dressmaking, computer software and secretarial duties as well as in agriculture. These programmes target young female orphans, girls who dropped out of school, women who want to get income-generating skills and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) who are either out of school or have escaped abusive marriages.
Akuro Fosab, Coordinator of RuWCED presided at the graduation of the ten trainees from RuWVIED. Speaking at the occasion, the coordinator said the Rural Women Vocational Institute for Education and Development (RuWVIED) is the vocational training arm of RuWCED that was inspired by the Founder whom after supporting women and girls to combat GBV/VAWG, sponsorship, financial assistance etc, thought it wise to get them into sustainable actions. Hence the creation of RuWVIED which started as a government approved Apprenticeship center in 2014 and later authorized by the government of Cameroon as an accredited vocational training center in 2017. This center aims at training youths especially young girls and women in the North West Region of Cameroon in Tailoring, Dressmaking and Fashion Designing, Computer and Secretariat duties, as well as Agriculture and organic farming. He added that the training lasts for at most three years but depending on performance, students can complete it in two years. He said, as part of the training, trainees do one month internship, after each year-long training at RuWVIED.
Mr Akuro announced that, the RuWVIED training program in Ndop, has extended its scope to Bamenda thus is currently offering training in Tailoring, Dressmaking and Fashion Design, Computer and Secretariat duties, Agriculture and organic farming, Carpentry, Welding, Cookery/Catering and Hair Dressing and Beauty Therapy.
Turning to the graduates, he encouraged them in iconic words. “As you have reached a major milestone in your journey towards achieving your dreams, as you step into the world with your newly gotten skills, be reminded that success is not solely defined by your academic achievement, but by your character and achievement for it is what impacts you in the world. In everything you do, remember to be transparent, truthful and work with integrity because people will always remember you for how you make them feel just as Maya Angelou quotes ‘I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’ There is another quote from Steve Job which says, stay hungry and to never settle for mediocrity meaning you should keep learning and striving to achieve more.”
He then concluded by encouraging the students to be passionate, innovative, and to always stay hungry (in search of knowledge) in order to be empowered in the world.
Also during the occasion, Sylvie Ngum, one of the trainers at RuWVIED, Ndop, used her testimony to encourage the students during her speech and presentation on what a vocational school is all about. “When you obtain a vocational education, you can become a positive changer in the society because it keeps you productively busy just as the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. After your training at RuWVIED, you can register for the national qualification diploma examination set by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training and after obtaining success, you are free to go in for any government concours in your said department. I am an evidence of this fact. I am a product of RuWVIED, and I went in for the said National Qualification and emerged best student for the region during the 2017/2018 examination session. As you can see, I am now a trainer at RuWVIED and I am making use of the skills I obtained from here to serve the community of Ndop and Ngoketunjia as a whole for the past 5 years.”
She equally mentioned that apart from the vocation, the trainees are also taught humility, self-control, respect, teamwork, time management and interpersonal skill and that from 2014 until date, the center has graduated about 250 trainees and a good number of them are excelling in their various fields in and out of the country. She concluded by stressing on the importance of vocational training for everyone whether they are educated or not because it serves as a source of income and financial independence.
The best graduating student equally gave a speech on behalf of the graduating batch. In her speech, she mentioned that it was not easy throughout their training and they felt like giving up sometimes because it was difficult for some of them to learn how to paddle a machine for tailoring students, or use the keyboard for computer students, but the encouragement from trainers kept them moving on and as time went by, they got better. This notwithstanding the security situation and the crisis going on in the region since 2016. She mentioned that at RuWVIED, they did not only learn vocation, they also learned menstrual hygiene, puberty, youth friendly health services just to name a few. She added that graduating, is the genesis of their journey in life and that to graduate means to change gradually and as such, she urged the change to be for the betterment of themselves and for their community. She urged her fellow graduating mates that the certificate given to them is for them to start work not as an achiever, but as someone who is willing to achieve and learn more.
To grace the event, the graduates presented special numbers, dances and fashion parades that entertained the guests. It should be said that the dresses they wore were designed and sewed by the graduating students themselves, while their robes and hats were sewed by past graduating students. At RuWVIED, theory is always matched with practical.
“We say thank you to all the trainers, especially to Madam Yvonne Leinyuy and Madam Sylvie Ngum who stood by the students and encouraged them throughout the process. We equally say thank you to all the students and parents/guidance, officials and dignitaries present, as well as to the RuWCED team .The ceremony which held on Saturday March 18, 2023 in Ndop ended with award of prizes to the best graduating students and the handing of certificates and general prizes to all the graduates. There was equally a call for more youths to get enrolled and be trained at any of the RuWVIED centers (Ndop or Bamenda).
