Strawberry Stalk Young Adult Nigerian Initiative

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Strawberry Stalk Young Adult Nigerian Initiative

United KingdomNigeria
Year Founded:
2015
Project Stage:
Idea
Budget: 
$10,000 - $50,000
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

A social enterprise dedicated to supporting young adult Nigerians. We will provide them with opportunities to acquire job-focused skills they need for a more promising future. This will position them to transition into gainful employment and encourage micro enterprise within their communities.

WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"

What if Cake and Fashion Craft Workshops could alter the life story of many young adult Nigerians, who according to statistics are facing uncertain future. Enabling gainful employment and micro enterprise within their communities.
About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Nigeria is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. It has the largest population of any African country, some 162.5 million people. Of this magnitude 49% are female; some 80.2 million girls and women. Nearly six million young women and men enter the labour market each year but only 10% are able to secure a job in the formal sector. Many victims of Sex and Human trafficking in Britain and Europe are from Nigeria.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

Nigeria: We will organise job focused training workshops within the Nigerian States as well as establish a training Centre offering 1 year course in Cake and Fashion Craft. Optional short courses will also be offered to make the scheme accessible to others who are unable to commit to the full year course. We will also partner with other local providers to gain a wider reach and create more impact. United Kingdom: We will organise targeted training workshops within the British Cities where there is a huge concentration of Nigerian immigrant communities. We will network with relevant agencies to identify and make our services accessible for young adult Nigerian immigrants serving prison sentences, facing deportation or unemployed.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

I grew up watching my mother, Lady Eva, who influenced the lives of many young Nigeria women. Lady Eva saw how some young women were being exposed to the dangers of prostitution and exploitation due to the lack of job-focused skills and obviously insufficient fund for University Education. So, she started a training center with the little but expertise knowledge in Food Nutrition that she had. She was working for the State Government then while taking care of seven children plus few relatives (this is quite common within the African culture, where the eldest is expected to take care of her siblings). Over 35 years have gone since then, many of these young women have gone on to better their lives, some are employed and others self employed.

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

Nearly six million young adult Nigerian women and men enter the labour market each year but only 10% are able to secure a job in the formal sector. Nigeria has 10.5 million children out of-school, the largest number in the world. Our project will provide these young adult Nigerians with opportunities to acquire job-focused skills they need for a more promising future Note: • Empowered young women are more likely to avoid prostitution, early pregnancies, and are less prone to being victims of sex trafficking. • Empowered young men are likely to avoid street life, crime, fraud, violence or being subjected to gang culture. These empowered young people will focus their energies on being gainfully employed or starting some form of micro enterprise within the community and being the positive force within their communities.

Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?

Year 1: Potential lives impacted would be about 1000-1500. Series of Cake and Fashion Craft Workshops within 3 States in Nigeria will be made accessible to a potential participants of about 300-450. To be achieved 3 times in a year. Fewer numbers could be potentially reached in the United Kingdom, about 300-500 persons. Year 2-10: We expect to see an exponential increase both in numbers and impact. Given the fact that our approach and the stories of the young adult Nigerians impacted by our project will create more reach and wider impact for what we do. Over 20000 persons to be impacted
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

Our target audience will pay to participate in our training workshops, though the cost will be subsidized. The students aiming to under take our 1 year full time or short professional courses in Cake and Fashion Craft would have to pay for tuition and course materials. There will always be a chance for sponsors or stakeholders to support any of the students or participants.

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

There are local providers of vocational skills within the area, but we are aiming to provide a targeted and job focused training while addressing the issues of human and sex trafficking, gang culture and cultism, unemployment and violence. We hope to promote micro enterprise, gainful employment and a positive resourceful living . Our delivery scope is more streamlined for greater and more focused impact, than what is presently obtainable.
Team

Founding Story

I grew up watching my mother, Lady Eva impact the lives of many young Nigeria women for good. Lady Eva saw how many young women were being exposed to the dangers of prostitution and exploitation due to the lack of job-focused skills and obviously insufficient fund for University Education. So, she started a training center with the little but expertise knowledge in Food Nutrition that she had. She was working for the State Government then while taking care of seven children plus few relatives (this is quite common within the African culture, where the eldest is expected to take care of her siblings). She has impacted the lives of many. Positive change is possible if we decide to dare.

Team

Lorenz Louis is the visioner/co-founder (Chief Change and Creative Officer), Vivian Njoku (co-founder) Potential Board Members: Lady Eva, Vivian Njoku (Country Outreach co-ordinator)
Background
Please confirm how you heard about the Unilever Awards:

Ashoka's Changemakers

Please confirm your role in the initiative (eg Founder/co-Founder) and your organisational title:

co-founder

Which of the 8 UN Global Goals (Sustainable Development Goals) pre-selected for this competition does your solution relate most closely to? [select all that apply]

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Leadership and the Unilever Awards
Please provide examples of any previous entrepreneurial initiatives you have pioneered.

Vivian Njoku is presently a Research Assistant at The Development Studies Research Group (DESREG), which is a national network of Univeristy community-based research and development NGOs based in Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The main areas of research by DESREG, are:
1. Research in International Development
2. Integrated Agriculture
3. Entomology and Parasitology
4. Mycological and Biological Control.

Vivian has facilitated and participated in sustainable and economic empowerment projects, these includes:
a). Skill Acquisition, Training, Seminar and Workshop – How to Empower the Youth for the Present
b). Entrepreneurship Training Skills – Hand on the Trade Training Projects for Youths.
c). Techniques for Research and Documentation in Project Writing.

Beyond your existing team, who else are you working with to achieve your objectives, eg partners, advisors, mentors?

Lorenz Louis, who also is co-founder and based in Britain, will be functionally involved, offering strategy and creativity. Lady Eva (the story behind this project) will be on the board providing expertise insight and direction from years of first hand on the ground experience. We will potentially tap into the knowledge of Mr. Chima Ibeneche (the former Shell Executive and immediate past Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd).

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