Introducing NEHEMIAH ECONOMIC WORK AND STUDY STUDENT'S SELF-SUSTENANCE PROGRAM (NEWSS)

[Titus Oyeyemi]

At African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives (AFPLI) and through our newly developed NEHEMIAH ECONOMIC WORK AND STUDY STUDENT'S SELF-SUSTENANCE PROGRAM (NEWSS)we provide opportunities for small scale economic empowerment for undergraduate students in institutions of higher learning, particularly in institutions where we have founded our KAIROS Peace and Love Clubs. Nigerian undergraduates, like other African youths, are experiencing economic hardship of various kinds. Institutions of higher learning in Nigeria and other African countries seldom provide work study opportunities for their students. Our work in promoting proactive peace building on campuses of institutions of higher learning in Nigeria has shown that students could earn extra income working as part-time entrepreneurs, while pursuing their studies. The idea of developing entrepreneurial skills in youths resonates with the spirits and objectives of the federal government entrepreneurial skills development policies. By participating in NEWSS, students will receive training relevant to the small scale part-time enterprises of their choice (provided there is availability), and will be given the opportunity to own timesharing of the facilities, tools and infrastructures required for their part time income earning or supplemental businesses. For example, we have applied for grant and are in the process of developing a timesharing fish farming concept where several students could participate in fish farming to earn extra or supplemental incomes.

Trainers and mangers are on high demand, and are recruited mainly from the pool of young people who have participated in NEWSS so that they can provide mentorship for new participants. A participant can stay on the program as long as he or she wishes. Graduates who had been trained, tooled, and equipped through the NEWSS are appointed as start-up agents in other campuses or locations where they are posted to do their one year national service.

Local and International grants are required for the success of the program.

The KAIROS Peace and Love Club is the third in the series of school-based peace building initiatives through which AFPLI is promoting her 20 year long tomorrow concept for youth peace and nation building. The other school-based peace clubs are the New Peace Legacy Club, targeted at the young graduates doing their one year national service through the National Youth Service Commission, the Youth Peace Alliance Clubs, targeted at teenagers in secondary schools, and the African Children of Peace Clubs targeted at children ages 5-12 attending nursery, primary and BASIC-9 schools in Nigeria.

For further information, please contact Rev. Dr. Titus K. Oyeyemi at [e-mail].

Thank you.