How Gazzelle Academy, Fidelity bank empowered 200 undergraduates

Following the alarming rate of unemployment in Nigeria, it has become a thing of necessity for undergraduates to empower themselves with entrepreneur skills in order to strive.

Having this in mind, Gazzelle Academy  Vocational Centre in partnership with Fidelity Bank recently trained  over 200 University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) undergraduates in the areas of fashion and makeup.

  Speaking with journalists, the founder of Gazzelle Academy, Muna Onuzo, described the experience as enlightening and fulfilling.
"It was an incredible experience from the beginning to the end. It left a huge impression on the students such that they wished the training didn't end."

  She stated that the training lasted for five days and It was held at the premises of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
"The UNN students impressed us with their quick and intuitive learning, which further justifies and reinforces the statement that Nigerians are academically gifted! Though it was an accelerated learning process, the beneficiaries finished their project on time. We were pleased with their creativity, discipline and thirst to learn.  When we saw what they produced after just two days of practical skill training, it became an emotional journey for my team, the Fidelity bank representatives who were our sponsors and the UNN representatives who were the beneficiaries."

  According to Onuzo, the students were trained in the areas of fashion and beauty.
"UNN is known for  professional courses such as Engineering, Law and a host of others. Therefore, it was a welcome change for them when we introduced skill acquisition in fashion and beauty to the students. For fashion, we trained the students on tailoring and stoning.
" Another group of hundred were taught makeup artistry. The students before the programme had neither the opportunity to cut a fabric before nor pedaled a sewing machine, but they created a near perfect version of what they were taught in a matter of days both in the makeup and fashion classes."
 
  Commeting on why she was committed on empowering the youth, the mother of two stressed that to ignore the restiveness of today’s youth was akin to ignoring a field with buried land mines.
"I was shaped by the experiences of my youth. This formed a solid foundation for who I have become today. It is not news anymore; we are the future. Yet, there is a seething dissatisfaction with the system that governs our today’s existence in Nigeria. For us, at the Gazzelle Academy, investing in the Nigerian youths through empowering them with practical skills and enterprise training that compliment their educational certificates, gives them and us a sense of purpose."

Also, Onuzo added that the regrettable state of unemployment among young graduates had brought about frustration of different kinds.
"With retrenchments all over the corporate community, we believe the youth should be equipped with at least one practical skill that would give them a fighting chance to survive if they are not able to find a job after graduation."

She stressed that training the students came with a huge price but
Fidelity Bank Plc and their media partners BEN TV were highly helpful.
"We appreciate the effort of Fidelity Bank,  Ben TV and the wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi.
"The Fidelity Bank identified with our goal, which is to teach the beneficiaries how to fish and also provide them with the knowledge and tools to fish successfully. Beneficiaries went away with not only business knowledge on pricing, branding, positioning, finance and marketing, they were also given sewing machines, pressing irons and makeup kits," she shared.

She, however, informed that they would monitor the growth of each participant through an interactive forum on their website,www.gazzelleacademy.org.
  "We will continue working and mentoring those who desire to take the skill learnt to new heights."