Beaming with an air-cutting enthusiasm, it is easy to tell that Favour Omofuna is passionate about her fashion business. Favour is a fashion trainer and seamstress like no other; she is not scared of competition or ever running out of business.
Favour and her husband Abel left a lucrative business location in Northern Nigeria, where their fashion business had thrived and their customers swelled for Auchi, a place they had to start from scratch. “I have always wanted to train young girls in fashion, it has always been my dream because I believe you cannot run out of ideas and what to do in fashion, it is very wide because everybody needs clothing, even the madman on the street need clothing, so no matter how many people are into tailoring there is still room for more” Favour insists the fashion business is one of the endless opportunities.
Her fashion outfit, MerPraise Fashion Home was nominated after a rigorous screening process to train selected returnees and potential irregular migrants in fashion designing and cloth making. “When I see young girls aimlessly walking about without doing anything, I use to feel very bad, that was one of the reasons why we relocated to this place so that we can impact the lives of the young people by first making them discover themselves and be sure of what they want from life. That was why I was excited when we were chosen by ActionAid to train the girls, I feel so happy impacting knowledge on young girls” she said, scanning the room filled with an assortment of cloth pieces, and electric sewing machines, she points at Gift Olorunda.
Gift is one of ActionAid’s Migration Project trainees who was the shining light at the MerPraise Fashion Home, Auchi. Gift had lost complete hope in continuing her education when she lost her Daddy at age 6. When she turned 18, she decided to work to support her struggling mother and other siblings.
Gift’s situation is an opportunity for human traffickers who dot around her community; searching for vulnerable prey for irregular migration. “It was a big opportunity for me to be trained by ActionAid in this Fashion Home (MerPraise). I have learned a lot of things that I cannot consider traveling illegally because I have skills that I can make good money from. I promise to put my fashion skills to work, and I will not betray ActionAid” she enthused.