OJULOGE ARTS WORLD PARTNERS LASG TO EMPOWER YOUTHS

Q: Tell us more about YEASAP. What informed the idea of training people?
A: Youth Empowerment And Skill Acquisition Program (YEASAP) is a youth empowerment project organized by OjulogeARTS World (Film & Beauty) Academy to help the underprivileged and (or) unemployed youths in Nigeria. Under YEASAP, Youths learn different skills from Makeup Artistry, to bead making, hair making, computer training, Child care, professional driving, Home care, catering and hotel management, sowing etc. Unlike most empowerment projects, YEASAP is different, as it provides platforms for mentorship and monitoring. Beneficiaries are monitored for 2 years and Mentors are provided for them in similar businesses to help them through the challenges of business. We also have a partner Microfinance bank (Addosser Microfinance Bank) providing support for these 2years.Personnaly, I have always believed in the idea of teaching people to fish and not just giving them fish and I am also of the opinion that you do not live for yourself alone, but your existence is to impact people around you with what you have. The ugly and continuous rise in unemployment rate among the youths of this Nation should be a thing of worry to anyone that loves this nation, and I am just using YEASAP to do my own part and help my fellow youths in my own little way.

Q: Is this first edition?
A: No…this is the 3rd edition

Q: When and where did the previous editions hold?
A: The 1st edition held at Obafemi Awolowo University Fine-Arts Department Ile-Ife Osun State and at Oceanview Resturant Victoria Island Lagos, both in 2013, while the 2014 edition held at our OjulogeARTS World Lagos.

Q: How do you intend to raise funds to train 500 youths who are not paying any fee?
A: We have partners, who believe in this project and have been contributing in one form or the other. Addosser Microfinance Bank who is one of our partners shall also be giving eligible students loans of N50,000 and above to start up their small beauty business, The Lagos State Government (Ministry of Youths & Social Development) , Kuddy Cosmetics, The Niche, Helping Hands international, Labule Restaurant, Inawolay Décor and Events, and a many others are joining by the day. We are grateful to God for the awesome support and we are still welcoming more partners soon.

Q: What is the recruiting process like?
A:
1. You obtain your form at the Lagos State Ministry of Youths Sports and Social Development Block 18 Alausa Ikeja

2. You are called up for a screening session

3. You are notified of your success or otherwise after 24 hours of the screening.

4. You come for Registration after 2 weeks and a student ID and number is given to you.

5. You commence the training of your choice.

Q: What skills would they acquire after the training?
A: There are different skills to acquire, but we are commencing with the Beauty skills in the first batch as we realize that there is more demand for that. Beneficiaries will be learning Advanced Professional Beauty Therapy Course. Course outline includes: Hair making, Herbal Skin care, head gear Art, Body Massage, semi-permanent lash, Saunna body bathe and more.

Q: Is there any plan on ground in terms of mentoring/loans for graduates after the training?
A: Because most empowerment projects in the past have failed due to lack of access to funds by Beneficiaries and proper guidance, OjulogeARTS World is partnering with Addosser Microfinance Bank to ensure, eligible students can access soft loans to help start and grow their small businesses. We shall also provide them free financial advise and attach monitors to help them stand. We shall also link them up with credible professionals , who will voluntarily mentor them and put them through in their businesses.  
Q: As an entrepreneur who has been in the beauty business for a while, what do you think are the basic challenges that these new graduate would face and how do they surmount.
A:
1. Funding: Accessing loans from banks by SMEs has been a difficult thing, but with our partner Addosser Microfinance bank, we hope to be able to avert this by providing loans for eligible Beneficiaries.

2. Power Supply: Beauty business often needs electricity, hence alternative power supply e.g generator is advised.

3. Building clients and marketing: One of the uniqueness of YEASAP is that, we do not just teach you to be skillful, but we build leaders! Hence courses that are ordinarily not taught in other empowerment programs e.g business law, health and safety, Marketing, ICT/On-Line Marketing, branding etc will be taught in YEASAP by professionals in different fields. Our instructors are not just Artisans, but we have partnered with professionals from different fields who will be coming to teach Beneficiaries.

4. Lack of Guide: When one starts a new business, there is the tendency to want to give up or make mistakes along the way. Our monitoring and mentorship team shall help to cushion this.