This chit-chat and skill acquisition event held on the 3rd of October 2022, succeeded admirably. The SOP Initiative came up with this program to empower young adults by teaching mental awareness and providing them with the opportunity to learn a skill that will make them self-sufficient.
The chit-chat session addressed topics like the constant stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and other issues that plagued the minds of young adults, as well as the need to engage themselves with something to pass the time.
Mrs. Debra Kiroro, the lead facilitator and head of the Human Capital Development department of the group, began by providing a brief overview of the event’s aim and the overall group’s objectives.
Mr. Ima Oboli, a guest speaker, kicked off the event’s first segment by talking about fear, addiction, trauma, and progressive masculinity. He gave very broad explanations about fear. “Fear is not a bad thing, but if you don’t know how to manage it, it will hold you back,” he said. He also stated, “Fear is inherited.” While speaking about trauma, he explained how fear and trauma complement each other. Throughout his speech, Mr. Ima Oboli briefly addressed progressive masculinity and addiction.
Mrs. Noma Alkali led the session’s discussion on peer pressure, sexual intelligence, abuse, and rape. As the event progressed, she defined sexual intelligence as understanding the goal of sex and highlighted how a man’s sex drive differs from a woman’s due to testosterone. She also talked about how sex is spiritual as well as physical. She clarified the two types of peer pressure—negative and positive—and how much of each is influenced by the people in your immediate environment when discussing peer pressure, she also used the term “peer influence” to mean giving others permission to have an influence on your choices. She asked the audience to define abuse before discussing how people can be abused emotionally or physically, agreeing that abuse can occur in any type of relationship and take many forms. She then discussed rape, defining it as “any form of non-consensual intercourse,” and stating that seeking guidance and counseling is the best way to get through such an experience. One of her main points was to always believe in yourself and to set aside time each day to reflect on your choices and ask yourself difficult questions.
Mrs. Debra Kiroro spoke about womanhood, self-esteem, career, and skills, and she taught us that we should always express our opinions and speak up when necessary in order to build our self-esteem. She also mentioned how having skill gives you an advantage in society.
After all of the speakers finished speaking on their respective topics, the discussion session transitioned to a full-fledged round of questions and answers. Each speaker did their best to answer each question, and the talk session ended after the Q&A.
The skill acquisition workshop was divided into four categories, each led by an experienced facilitator, to teach attendees the fundamentals and tips.
Gbolahan Odejinmi led the hair barbering session, which had 10 participants, male and female.
This session started off well when he introduced them to the tools they would need as barbers. Following that, each participant took turns using the clipper while the facilitator assigned them each a task. At the end of the barbering session, the participants were able to cut the hair of a volunteer, which turned out beautifully.
The footwear making category, taught by Ose Amedu, was extremely useful. The five students were able to make two pairs of shoes with his help, which was a great start for the attendees. The facilitator demonstrated how to properly use instruments such as the mallet and how to obtain accurate measurements.
Uche Lawrence handled the nail tech category, and it was clear how quickly the 14 participants picked up the procedure by making everything simple for them. They painted each other’s nails to assess their own abilities.
Tonia Chigere’s hair-making category also drew a sizable 21-person audience. Despite this, the facilitator handled the session expertly, and each attendee was given the opportunity to experiment on the mannequin after being walked through the fundamentals.
Each facilitator made every effort to respond to each student’s questions while also sharing their own experiences, lessons learned, and client-serving techniques.
A small group of attendees was asked for feedback on the event. They all had a lot to say about how the talks and workshops had affected them and how they planned to apply what they had learned in the future. The speakers also expressed gratitude to the organizers for creating this platform.
As the event, which had about 50 people in attendance, came to a close, the facilitators encouraged all attendees to never stop learning and to continue developing what they had learned. The attendees exchanged stories, and photographs were taken to capture every smile and every moment. As with any event, there will always be those who give their all, and awards were given to the best in each workshop category to encourage them. ‘Girls Chat vs Men Indeed’, without a doubt, was an absolutely magnificent event.
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