SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EMPOWERED

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has concluded its first empowerment training program for survivors of domestic violence desirous of accessing the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund.http://www.dsvrtlagos.org/empowerment.html.

Coordinator of the DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi in a statement on Tuesday said the training was in line with the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode’s mandate on ensuring that survivors of Domestic Violence receive a holistic response and a new lease of life.

 
She said trends seen in domestic and sexual violence cases handled so far, shows that at least 70 per cent of survivors are afraid to walk out of an abusive relationship because they are financially dependent on the abuser, adding that the empowerment training program was therefore conceived to serve as a pathway to new beginnings for survivors and also rebuild their self-esteem. She said the training was done in partnership with SME 100 Africa, a youth led organisation that inspires, empowers and equips young entrepreneurs and small and medium scale enterprises. 

 
“Over a period of one month, participants were taken on different modules around the theme “Passion to Profit”. The modules include courses like Accessing my Passion, Developing a Vision, Matching my Skills with Visions, Goals Setting, Achieving your goals, Business & Professional Ethics, Assessing Demand & Market size, Estimating cost, Customer Segmentation and Effective Communication. They were also trained on Financial Resources: Sources of Capital, Money Management, Business Planning, Business Model canvass, Value Creation.

 
“Participants who are desirous of gaining employment were also trained. They were taken on the various topics like Navigating the Job Market, Employability skills, Problem solving, critical and creative thinking, Communication Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Teamwork, Effective Presentation Skills, Personal Communication and Intrapreneurship. They were also trained on Writing an effective CV/ Resume and How to Successfully Navigate Job Interviews,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

 
The DSVRT Coordinator noted that at the end of the training, participants, who were survivors of domestic violence were given an opportunity to pitch their ideas to leading stakeholders in their respective industries. 
 

“Most importantly, participants were assigned to mentors and given internship opportunities so as to further harness their skills and gain practical experience. There would also be opportunities for permanent job placements with support from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, who are also actively involved in the empowerment programme,” she said.

 
Besides, Vivour-Adeniyi said successful participants would also receive a start up grant from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund for their respective businesses ideas, reiterating that it was another initiative of the State Government on taking practical steps in providing a support system for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State.  She also encouraged residents to continue to dial *6820# to report cases of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse or call 112/ 0813-796-0048.