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>View discussions about this entry Country: Nigeria
Organization: LADY MECHANIC INITIATIVE
Sector Focus - Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2004
Project URL: http://www.ladymechanicinitiative.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Investing in the female gender of Nigeria.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - we mobilize broad spectrum of the poor and vulnerable people, specifically women and young girls in hard to reach communities, initiate, design and implement motor mechanic programmes, that results in sustainable improvement in their well-being as well as facilitates their reintegration into the mainstream society. by rehabilitating, empowering and training them with auto mechanic skills to create wealth. they are called female mechanic
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - • Conduct ongoing social research that profile poverty and underlying socio-cultural and political circumstances that engenders poverty in specific social settings, the people’s perception of poverty, disseminates and document the findings.
• Promote creativity and creative genius among young people by working with school authority, teachers and other stakeholders to introduce auto engineering career talk and auto mechanic competition among secondary schools as a solution to the rising youth unemployment in Nigeria and Africa at large. • Empower the poor and vulnerable people with vocational skills training in auto mechanic, motorbike, generator, air conditioning, refrigeration repair and maintenance technology and motor panel work in a long-term mentorship that ensures lasting impact. How do you plan to grow your innovation? - o Ensure that the trainees become worthy ambassadors of the initiative by cultivating the ideologies of the initiative in others (i.e. Trainees become trainers
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - yes we do have existing partnerships, we do create this partners by organising networking events, send introductory letters, to corporate and individual companies, write proposals join networks of NGO, this process have help the initiative to be publicized and showcased.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - To help stop prostitution and other vices and establish a respectable source of revenue for young women and girls
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - • 7 girls trained, graduated,March 17th 2006
• 1 refugee boy trained, graduated March 17th 2006 • Presently, there are 64 new trainees at the workshop receiving mechanical training • 50 trainees are being sponsored by MTN foundation. They have graduated from the first here to their second year( which include their industrial training in PAN Automobile, Nigeria, where they are practically taught new technology of can dismantling and assembly we plan toDuplicate the programme within other states. One state at a time but eventually all 36 states across Nigeria. 36,000 ladies.an to
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - Carryout ongoing psychosocial, mental health counseling and mentorship that encourage young women and girls to adopt positive attitude and approach to life, avoid antisocial behavior and live healthy and prolong life.
When women are empowered to be self confident and financially independent they would stand up to their right and be involved in the making legislation of their society. There is growing awareness that females constitute more than half of the world’s and as such meaningful advancement cannot take place in its entirety, if women are grossly under represented.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - YOUNG GIRLS AND WOMEN(ages 14 - 35)
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - • Organizing fundraising activities
• Create public awareness • Sustain high visibility for the initiative • Engender stakeholders’ interest\participation • Cultivate public goodwill and empathy for the initiative • Create lasting impression for the initiative BUT ESSENTIALLY WRITE PROPOSALS TO SEEK FOR FUNDING If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: • MTN FOUNDATION, NIGERIA, Major funding partner, year 1-2006-2007(N11,000,000.00) and year two-2007 to 2008 (N17,034,000.00) • Former First Lady of Lagos State Chief Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu. (Moral and Financial). • Former Ministry of Women Affairs, Lagos State (Moral support, Recognition, commendation) • Daisy Dajuma • WOTCLEF, Abuja (Ensured Federal government support and recognition) • Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, (PAN) Kaduna (Certified Training) The girls are usually sent to the plat to train for one month • Motor Plus Workshops (Partner in training and employment) • Transmission by Lucille, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Support & training partnership) • Carlbury Garage, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (donation of tools, training on diagnosing in motor vehicles) • Global fund for women USA( 2006-2007) $6,000.00 • Rotary club TIN Can Apapa, Nigeria( N100,000.00) and training one girl for 3years(N365,000.00) • CHEVRON, (Training partner, Employment and Financial) • Stephanie Balikos( donation of training tools and office equipments ) • Commissioner of Police Lagos state, (moral and security support) • Sara Hindle, Portsmouth, UK (fundraising and volunteer) capacity building and donation of office equipments • Mr. Henry Omoragbon (BOT), donation of office furniture • Free Health Insurance programme from the Netherlands Government through Lagoon Hospital in collaboration with HYGEIA, “a health maintenance organization” nominated the Lady Mechanic Initiative for the community health insurance plan for all her trainees and families at no cost yearly. What is the potential demand for your innovation? - The potential demand for the innovation is very high in that in Africa, there has never been such an idea/inspiration that is turning this part of Africa we are in and the surrounding African countries into networking countries/cities.And i foresee that in five years from now the whole of Africa will be affected positively with this innovation.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - ? Unemployment
? Unavailability of infrastructures (schools, hospitals, road, water, electricity, e.t.c) ? Lack of access to physical assets such as land and capital ? Unstable governance ? Infringement of fundamental rights What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - God spoke to me through a series of childhood dreams and told me that i should become a mechanic. With no other mechanics in the family, my father initially scoffed at the idea, until he traveled to the US in the 1980s and saw women working in positions considered "men only" in Nigeria, back in Nigeria, he gave me his full support, but my mother was not in support, because she was afraid of the physical challenges associated with the profession. Nevertheless, i forged ahead with my dream at the age of Fourteen years, although my first "garage" was a patch of land covered with cardboard for shade, which was demolished by authority, but that did not deter me, today I am a brewing success. i has always aimed high. An avid reader of self-help books, I encourage my girls to think big – and they do.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - AKASandra Aguebor- Robert Kokoma, native of Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria born in the 70s by late Mr. &Mrs. R.A Aguebor, attended Ivbiotor Primary School, St Maria Goretti Grammar School in Benin,Benin Technical College for further technical skills and then Auchi Polythenic, all in Edo state, had a degree from The GOETHE INSTITUTE, a German school based in Lagos State and International Relations (Inview). Secured 1ST employment with Bendel Transport Service(Edo Line),Benin City, as officer in charge of maintenance and repairs in the workshop for 3years, and later with Nigeria Railway Corporation, and NOW CEO/FOUNDER,LADY MECHANIC INITIAIVE and CEO SANDEX CAR CARE, (specialist in maintenance, servicing of mostly used cars and sales of spare parts for commonly used cars), AKA THE LADY MECHANIC
Contact Information:
SANDRA AGUEBOR
FOUNDER LADY MECHANIC INITIATIVE (NGO) ladymechanicinitiative@yahoo.com 154 awolowo way by allen junction, ikeja, lagos nigeria,(project office) 15 samuel manuwa by 1004 estate victoria island, lagos nigeria( lady mechanic garage) Discussions about this entry
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Empowering women and young girls with auto mechanic skills to create wealth as a source of self sustainable livelihood
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Dear Sandra,
I truly admire the work you are doing in Nigeria. I love that there are multiple positive outcomes to your program, from empowering women to breaking down stereotypes.
I am curious if you have considered partnerships with other local and international organizations, like the Nike Foundation, that are aimed at empowering women through health-care and awareness? It sounds as though health care and a well-rounded education are fundamental to your organization, and other organizations may be interested in helping facilitate training.
Additionally, I would like to echo Ms. Heather Cameron's question regarding the revenue stream for participants throughout the program.
Thank you again for your diligence in combatting inequality and other gender issues in Nigeria.
Sincerely,
Sarah McRae
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Current Master of International Management Student, Portland State University
Sandra:
I think your program has great potential to empower Nigerian women--wonderful idea. You mention partnering with NGOs and others, but have you been able to approach existing garages to employ your graduates? Is there a way to work with local government to avoid demolition of your own garage? Can an NGO sponsor a garage for the graduates to work in?
Also, do you have a tracking mechanism to see if your graduates continue to work as mechanics a few years down the line? I think that would be useful data to present to funders and other potential partners.
Keep up the good work!
Katie
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Portland State University MBA
Sandra your work is a motivation for me and a lot of Young Nigerian girls because it reminds us daily that if anyone whether male or female is trained and given the opportunity to practice his/her skill or talent, they can do very well. Your project is helping trmendously in breaking the limitations placed on our young girls in choosing a career. Thank you so much Sandra
sandra,
I salute your best to none econonic policies that involves the training of the female gender in automechanic skills in order for them to have a sustainable livelihood.If a woman is empowered it is for the benefit of the nation at large.well done great change maker.
Sandra -
Thanks for sharing your story on changemakers. What a great initiative!. I would like to know if you have investigated how to create some earned income sources for the girls and their work? Would it be possible for you to bid for government contracts or school contracts to fix cars and small machines much like other projects successfully do with the sewing of school uniforms?
Second, do the girls get access to tools or their own tools upon graduation? Are they able to work independently or what are the next steps for them into employment?
All the best from Berlin,
Heather Cameron
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Heather Cameron
Professor
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Hi Sandra,
congratulations on a great initiative! I like how you go against gender stereoytpes here and pay attention to networking and sustainability. What also caught my eye was the "trainees become trainers" element. Can you tell us a little more on how you envision that and/or what you are alreday doing in this area?
Thanks and all the best for your work.
Jasper
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Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
SANDRA,
I was just looking through some of the submissions for this competition and came across yours which really stands out in terms of its practicality, innovation and vision. It's also fantastic to see that your well-balanced socio-economic initiative is addressing some of the root causes of modern-day slavery/trafficking straight on. Great job and all the best of luck to you and your budding mechanics!
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sandra