Ebonyi Governor’s wife, UNFPA, BERWO Organized BootCamp empowered adolescents Girls
By: Uzorigwe Gloria, Abakaliki.
The Wife of the governor of Ebonyi state, Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, has empowered 80 adolescent girls on how to navigate the rigours of life while growing up.
Mrs. Nwifuru made this known on Wednesday, 13th August at the opening ceremony of the 2025 edition of the Adolescent Girls Boot Camp programme, at Pastoral Center, Abakaliki, where the adolescent candidates spend 3 days for the training.
The programme was organised by her pet project, Better Health For Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Foundation (BERWO), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The governor’s wife who was represented by Mrs Nkechi Echiegu, the Team Lead of BERWO, said the participants were drawn from the 13 Local Government Areas (LGSs) of the state.
She stated that the participants would be educated on the evils of gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, their rights, and other life skills for survival.
She said other sessions involve discussions, case studies, and interactive exercises to explore the meaning and application of these values to correct some emotionally unstable individuals.
She explained that the sessions would help to train the minds of the girls at their adolescent stage on some of the things to expect in life and the importance of believing in themselves.
“During holidays, a lot happens, and parents are quick to return children to school. But we are using the bootcamp exercise to encourage and empower the girls to understand themselves better.
“We are going to educate them on happenings in society, and things will change a lot better in our society,” Nwifuru said.
She appreciated the UNFPA for funding the innovation.
Mr. Godwin Nwogha, member of the Technical Team at BERWO, maintained that skillful patenting and molding a child’s character should begin at home.
The state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs Chinwe Okah, represented by Mrs Chinyere Ituma, Director in the ministry, expressed confidence that the innovation would equip and have a positive impact on participants when concluded.
Mrs Nwifuru commended them for paying the counterpart fund for the initiative and urged participants to take advantage of the exercise to learn and educate other peers to reduce any form of violence in society.
Their messages to the participants, Mrs Felicia Nwamkpuma, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, and Mrs Elizabeth Ogodoali-Nome, Wife of Ezza-North Council Chairman, encouraged the adolescent children to take advantage of the exercise and extend it to their future purposes and their loved ones in society.
Benedicta Umeh, on behalf of the participants, thanked organisers of the programme and described it as an outstanding innovation in building strong and beneficial futures.
