True empowerment is not just about teaching skills, it is about walking with people until knowledge becomes confidence and confidence becomes action. That was the heart of Debbie Kauna Foundation’s Skill Up Mentorship Training, held in Michika and Madagali LGAs of Adamawa State.
Under the project “The Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities Towards Full and Effective Participation and Gender Equality in Adamawa State,” supported by UN Women and funded by the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF), DKF trained over 300 women and girls with disabilities in vocational and entrepreneurial skills in January 2025. But beyond the classroom, we knew something else was needed, guidance, encouragement, and mentorship.
Each participant was paired with a mentor; an experienced artisan, entrepreneur, or community leader, who provided hands-on training, practical advice, and emotional support. This mentorship bridged the gap between learning and doing, ensuring that the skills acquired were not just theoretical, but applied to real-world contexts.
The vocational tracks included:
👗 Tailoring & Tie & Dye: enabling creativity to meet economic opportunity.
🐓 Poultry & Livestock Farming: building food security and livelihoods.
👟 Shoemaking: creating durable products with market value.
🌾 Rice Processing & Backyard Gardening: blending tradition with innovation to sustain families and communities.
For many participants, the mentorship program was more than skill-building. It was about breaking isolation, restoring dignity, and fostering resilience. Women and girls with disabilities, often underestimated or sidelined, stood boldly to show that when given the right tools and support, they can thrive.
As one mentor shared: “This is not about charity, it is about investing in ability. These women are capable; they only needed a chance.”
At DKF, we believe empowerment is a journey and mentorship makes that journey sustainable. Together with our partners, we are not just training women and girls with disabilities, we are nurturing leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who will inspire their communities for years to come.
We remain grateful to UN Women, NHF, and our mentors who turned classrooms into pathways of hope.
Because where we care specially, resilience grows.