GADA Takes GBV Awareness Campaign To Arthur Jarvis University As Over 100 Students Showcase Entrepreneurial Skills

AKPABUYO, CROSS RIVER – The Gender and Development Action (GADA) has intensified efforts to combat gender-based violence (GBV) among young people by sensitizing students of Arthur Jarvis University on reporting abuse during the institution’s entrepreneurship skills exhibition, which attracted over 100 participants.

GADA’s Programme Officer in charge of Community Crisis Management Teams, Roseline Unimuke, addressed the students on the organisation’s mission and vision, urging them to report cases of gender-based violence occurring within the university and surrounding communities.

The sensitisation formed part of activities at the entrepreneurship exhibition organized by the university’s Faculty of Entrepreneur Studies.

According to the event report, GADA supported We Became Initiative with ₦100,000 to facilitate aspects of the programme.

However, the organisation noted that its visibility at the event was limited, aside from the presentation of an Award of Honour to Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, the presentation of certificates to three students who completed training in public speaking and graphic design, and the opportunity given to its programme officer to speak on GBV awareness.

The entrepreneurship programme, which targeted Year Two and Year Three students, followed a three-month intensive training covering photography, videography, cosmetology, painting, fashion design, baking and pastry, electrical installations, water production, soap making, public speaking and graphic design.

The exhibition was organized bto enable students demonstrate the practical skills acquired during the training.

More than 100 students participated in the exhibition, where they presented practical demonstrations of their various trades before lecturers, facilitators, judges and invited guests.

Many of the participants expressed their willingness to establish businesses while still in school to support their education and future careers, according to the report.

Earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Entrepreneur Studies, Dr. Mrs. Mbang, said the university introduced the entrepreneurship training to equip students with practical skills that could become sustainable sources of income beyond their academic qualifications.

She also urged participants to take the practical assessment seriously, noting that it constituted 70 per cent of their examination score, while the written examination accounted for 30 per cent.

The programme ended at about 4:00 p.m. with a closing prayer led by one of the students after the presentation of awards and certificates.