Through the use of tools for skill learning, the non-profit organization Ebony Ambassadors has empowered young people.
Irene Ani, the organization’s founder, stated that the goal of the program was to empower young people for sustainability.
She pointed out that learning new skills was the best course of action, given the high rate of unemployment in the nation.
Speaking of her experience as a first-year student in London fifteen years prior, Ani described how her acquisition of skills allowed her to complete her education without the need for a student loan: “I learned how to make hair when I got to London and I made a lot of money from hair braiding, as a result, I didn’t take any myself for my first and second degrees.”
“Seeing how I gained from learning a skill, I felt the young people in London didn’t take skill acquisition seriously, so I decided to start empowering them through skills.”
She continued, saying: “The reason I am so passionate about this project is that the majority of UK students rely on student loans for their education. I am among the select handful that compensated her for the expertise I gained. That fueled my desire even more, and I want to help these young people become better empowered. My goal is to replicate events that take place overseas in Nigeria.”
Regarding finance, Ani continued, “We get funding from local authorities in London to run workshops. So, we do have workshops for even the elderly, some of them are bored at home and want to engage in creative activities.”
She disclosed that the organization intends to establish collaborations with the government to expand the vision.
“What we want to do is to create an avenue where we will begin a lot of cultural exchange where young people from here can come abroad and learn skills, learn how to use the machinery and come back to train people here to use it, it is a big project.”
