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| L-R: Oluwayemi Olukanni, Course Design Lead, Kafawa; Nkem Okocha, Founder, Mamamoni; Mrs. Femi Olayebi, CEO, My World of Bags Ltd; Sinmi Olayebi, Project Lead, Kafawa at the launch of My World of Bags Kafawa training program today. |
In a bid to bridge the skills gap in the leather and
non-leather manufacturing industry, My World of Bags, in partnership with the
Mastercard Foundation announced the launch of Kafawa,a training initiative.
My World of Bags, the parent company of FemiHandbags, one of
Africa’s leading luxury accessory brands, is partnering with the Mastercard
Foundation’s Young Africa Works to upskill hundreds of Nigerian youths and
connect them to work opportunities in the creative sector.
Kafawa, which means ‘establishment’ in Hausa, will kick-off
its pilot edition in Oyo state, and will launch a series of intensive courses
in hard and soft skills. The goal is to empower and establish a highly skilled
generation of youth to enhance the quality of workmanship in Nigeria -and
Africa’s leather and non-leather industries.
In a statement by the Program Director and Founder of My
World of Bags/FemiHandbags, Mrs.Femi Olayebi, she said, “There is a breadth of
potential in the leather and non-leather manufacturing industries in Nigeria,
and yet, there is a lack of skilled hands to bring that potential to life. This
partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is the perfect opportunity to
achieve this, by not only equipping young Nigerians with the necessary skill
sets to grow and expand the sector, but also to enhance their own economic
outcomes.
We are honored to be driving this change, and we are
committed to creating access for as many young people at the
bottom-of-the-pyramid as possible. We truly believe that there is dignity in
working your way to the top, no matter how low you start, and we hope to begin
to change mindsets and create a chain reaction.”
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Chioma Nwagboso, Program
Lead, MSME Finance at the Mastercard Foundation said, “The Mastercard
Foundation is excited at the potential for Kafawa to create a new generation of
young people with a changed mindset and new-found belief that production,
tailoring and manufacturing can provide dignified and fulfilling work
opportunities.”
Over the past five years, My World of Bags has been an
active advocate for skill-building,through its annual training program for
leather designers, in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council
(NEPC); and for expanding access and creating a platform for visibility,
through its annual Lagos Leather Fair.
This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation enables the
company to further expand its reach, intensify and broaden the training
curricula and offer placement opportunities within the leather and non-leather
manufacturing industry.
The first cohort of trainees, selected based on their
passion, availability, and readiness to strive for better, have officially been
on-boarded into the Kafawa Training Program and are very eager to begin a
journey that will involve intensive training over a period of 3-4 months.
Application for the next cohort will be open in March 2022.
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