Oyam girls ready to prove the greatness of FICH in their communities

9 December 2024, 12:31 pm

By Eman yonah oruk

A total of 109 adolescent girls enrolled by a charity organisation called the Foundation for Inclusive Community Help (FICH) in Oyam district are now fully prepared to apply the knowledge gained during the Discovery Boot Camp training to their daily lives and communities.

Victoria Harriet Anyango, the Programme Manager for FICH in charge of the Education Department in Oyam district, explained that they initially enrolled 120 girls from three schools: Acaba Senior Secondary School, Everest High School, and Atapara Secondary School, with 40 girls from each school.

Anyango further explained that the decrease in numbers from 120 to 109 was due to factors such as school dropouts, early marriages, and some girls transferring to schools outside Oyam district where FICH does not operate. As a result, 11 girls missed the second cohort graduation.

Emmy Zommlamia Okello, the Programme Director for FICH, stated that the mentor teachers had conducted extensive mentoring activities to ensure the girls were equipped with the necessary skills to positively impact their local communities. “These girls are adequately trained in personal and cooperative leadership, public speaking, entrepreneurial skills, craft and creativity, and financial literacy. These skills will help them navigate life in a changing world, despite the challenges they may face as women,” she added.

This was reinforced by the testimony of FICH Alumni President, Vivian Mary Abote, who graduated last year. She is now applying the leadership and poultry business skills she gained during the training to her real-life ventures.

Honourable Benson Dila Oyuku, the Oyam District LC V Chairperson, thanked FICH for their outstanding work in improving the lives of girls in Oyam by helping them explore their dreams and turn them into reality.

Hon. Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Parliamentary Aspirant for Oyam South, expressed his views during the passing out ceremony of the girls. He told the graduands and their parents that the only profitable investment is education.

He also supported the girls’ projects at all three schools by donating a token of 100,000 shillings to each, which was greatly appreciated by both the schools and parents.

Other opinion leaders and education-minded individuals who attended the pass-out ceremony included Mr. David Adea, the Oyam District Education Officer, Hellen Kella, the Programme Manager for GENEVA Global, and representatives from other organisations supporting FICH, including World Vision, PISCO, Link to Progress, and Growth Care. All were present to grace the event.