Centre takes beggars off Lagos streets with training

Poised to facilitate the Lagos State government’s effort at reducing the large number of street beggars, Beady Empowerment Center recently organised a training and mentorship programme for persons living with disabilities.

They were trained on shoemaking, watch repair, photography video/audio editing, bead making, hair/nail making, toiletries production, tie and dye, digital marketing and computer appreciation. With the theme, ‘Ability in Disability’, the one-week event in its second edition was held at the mini stadium in Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, founder, Beady Empowerment Center, Beady Nnanna, said the event was aimed at training participants on diverse productive areas so as to reignite in them a vision of starting and owning a micro business instead of being a burden on the society.

Council Head, Ifako Ijaye Local Council Development Area, Abiodun Akinola, while appreciating the organisers, noted that it is not easy to think of what to do for persons with disabilities especially in times of economic hardship.

Narrating the story of a physically-challenged builder, he assured of his community’s support to the activities of the disabled and charged the participants to look beyond their present predicaments.

In his reaction, President, National Association of Persons Living with Disability, Ifako Ijaye chapter, Olalekan Owolabi, who pleaded for more attention for the group, said the programme was a step in the right direction, especially now that efforts are been channeled to get more beggars off the streets.

“We focus on empowering the people and society especially those with disability by building their inner body, mindset and training them on diverse productive areas as well as reignite in them a mindset of starting their businesses.

By so doing, they realize that the mind is the greatest asset in life because we will be talking directly to their minds,” Nnanna said.