Cynthia Onyiye Nbani
Life after the she can program has been pretty awesome for me. I was privileged to be one of the beneficiaries of the seed fund, which was given. I realized that the process of getting through all the classes was not just for my development but everyone around me, so as to help other young men and women around me open up their minds to the abilities they have.
I started my business, the Rupt, almost immediately after the program and the response has been amazing. We have been active on Instagram and about launching our own blog in a fortnight also on WhatsApp. My content management skill with regards to graphics design has become better with more costumers. I also enrolled for a pastry and baking class for two weeks and the other for three months with a Wilton certified officer. I had two mini classes in my room in the hostel where I made dishes since I cannot bake there. I am currently working on my first Wikipedia article.
Truthfully, the Intel workbook for entrepreneurship which was given to us during the SHE CAN WITH ICT program has helped developed my business idea tremendously, for example my budgeting and Pricing skills. Challenges well, I have had just a few like getting an oven to bake. So far everything has been wonderful.
Victoria Orodeji
I was informed about the “SHE WILL CONNECT” programmed by a friend who works in Unilag Fm, I registered online and that was how I began my She Can journey.
Prior to attending the classes, I didn’t know what to expect, I wasn’t so keen on technology and I assumed the classes will be filled with engineering and science ladies and their jargon will be the lingua but I was wrong.
The programme commenced in March 2017 and I joined towards the end of April. I came to the next slated class with my prior opinion, only to be shocked because the facilitator that day was a lawyer and she was speaking on business registration. The next question that came up in my mind why we were having courses on other subject areas and not solely technology, I realized that ICT is to be the vehicle for whatever a woman wants to do, to be as equally competitive in whatever area she is involved in.
This programme has equipped me with skills on how to develop one’s business with technology. This programme has also provided various opportunities to ladies both home and abroad. The programme has brought amazing people to our door steps to guide and mentor us. I have gotten a reorientation from this programme which has assisted me in a more efficient approach to my business. Through the She Can Programme I learnt about certain organizations and platform, which also seeks to empower women like Intel, World Pulse, Wikipedia and a host of others who were partners on the SHE WILL CONNECT project. Most of all, The She Can programme has created a platform, bringing ladies who are game changers and seek better opportunities to help one another achieve their desired goal.
Some of the tangible impacts this programme has led me to start projects that involve digital marketing of my products (bedsheets), through creating a website for the brand which is still a work in progress and using other social media platforms asides WhatsApp to promote the brand. I am also working towards organizing a training on Microsoft Office for ladies in my community.
The training on Microsoft word helped me when I was writing my project and other legal writing I have done and I also taught some of my friends how to use Microsoft Word to do things they couldn’t do before, like table of contents, making comments and tracing corrections etc. I previously used Survey Monkey to make and distribute questionnaire, I was taught how to use Google forms which is more efficient for data analysis.
I always regarded myself as an opportunity scout, the issue isn’t really with finding opportunities but making the most of every opportunity. SHE WILL CONNECT is a trailblazer, showing ladies the right path and enabling them to believe in themselves. Most of all SHE WILL CONNECT ignited a fire in me and gave me a new purpose, which is equipping other women with all that I have learnt. The SHE WILL CONNECT Programme never ends with us; it lives on as we get involved in women empowerment.
Rebecca Eyiaro
My name is Rebecca Eyiaro. I am a 400L student of Business Administration in University of Lagos, akoka. I chose to participate in the Intel SHE WILL CONNECT (ISWC) programme because I felt it’d be an addition to the skills I have gained in ICAN and Business Administration in the last couple of years, thus giving me a huge competitive advantage.
My first class was the “Work-life Balance” workshop and it was awesome. After the session, I just knew I had to go back for more classes. Though I could not attend every one of the workshop sessions, due to school work – thesis, mini projects and a whole lot of assignments, I was able to catch up using the Intel Entrepreneurship workbook that was given to every participant of this laudable programme. However, every class I attended was worth every minute of it.
My high point of the training would be in opportunity utilization. The ISWC programme was a great opportunity for me. I entered for the “fund for women-owned business” competition where I pitched my Shea-butter business and won a cash prize of seventy-five thousand naira, (N75,000). This I invested into the business, and supported with WhatsApp broadcast messages, I have been able to grow my customer-base considerably, almost 100% in 1 month. And I am presently creating more social media accounts to reach more people to use my product.
I have learnt so far that you don’t know how much strength you have until you take a bold step to make something happen. I want to conclude that I am more internet savvy and can boldly implement everything I have learnt in the ICT training.