Recap Of The Boot Camp Organised By Crafts Create Jobs Development Initiative

The boot camp started on 17th August with registration and settling down of the participants.
On Sunday the 18th of August 2019, the participants worshipped according to their respective church denomination – the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal.
Recreational activities were lined up to make the Sunday and the entire stay at the camp colourful.

These 1000+ participants were trained on different skills, which are as follows;
Website designing, graphics and visuals, hair and wig making, cinematography, photography, furniture making, tailoring, decoration, making of paints, auto mechanical repairs, shoemaking, pedicure and manicure, multimedia, solar installation, solar repairs, embroidery, wielding, ETC.

These skills were grouped into nine (9) departments;
Information and communication technology (ICT), energy and fabrication, confectionery, fashion department, building etc.
There are also dancing and drama groups. The people in this group were taught how to dance and act, something they already have passion for.
Among the recreational activities are sports – football, volleyball, etc.

There was time for a lecture in between training and meals. Each day, the camp gets a visitor who delivered the keynote address to the participants.
The keynote speakers include Sam Ben Nwosu, Professor Stella Okunna, Uche Nworah, et al.

On 24th, the day of the exhibition, Honourable Chris Emeka Azubogu and the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, who came specifically for the exhibition visited the camp. Hon Azubogu, in his speech, described the Crafts Create Jobs Development Initiative executive secretary and boot camp host, comr. Frank Chinedu Maduka as an industrious youth. He also encouraged the participants to take the skills they have learnt seriously and develop on it.

The PDP vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi who came for the exhibition charged the participants to be agents of change. “All those who have changed the world are like you, they are ordinary people like you,” he said to the participants.
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On Friday (23rd) before the exhibition day, Nollywood actor, who is loved very much especially among the youths visited the camp.

Yul Edochie, despite the heavy downpour on that day, was able to visit the participants at the camp, he encouraged them to harness all they have learnt while at the camp, and develop more on it while putting them into practice. He went around all the departments, commended the trainees and patronized them.

The products displayed by the participants during the exhibition include;
Office table, almaco windows, senator wear, Pam slippers, wigs, cake, air freshener, a stove (solar-powered stove), etc.

The last day at the boot camp, Sunday (25th), the boot camp host and the Executive Secretary Crafts Create Jobs Development Initiative, Comr. Frank Maduka arranged for a non-denominational praise and worship service. The participants were overwhelmed. This is the part they didn’t see coming, so they were taken by surprise.
What a glorious way to end the boot camp!
And as stated earlier, the trainees have issued a certificate of participation.

Dr. Harry Oranezi, the boot camp chief host and the organisation’s BOT chairman in an interview granted by channels TV during the camp, said that this initiative is another way of ”moving the youths out of the street, away from crime and selling of their bodies”.

The aim of the boot camp unarguably is achieved, and the participants were very happy.
However, one of the participants’ parent expressed some sort of unhappiness. According to Mrs. Akudo, her two children returned from the boot camp looking very sad, they wished the boot camp would be extended while their mother was sad that her children did not even miss her.