A maritime professional, Mrs Benita Afolabi, has adopted 10 students of Festac Girls College, Lagos, for mentorship as maritime entrepreneurs and marine engineers towards the development of the girl child.
Afolabi made the disclosure during her sensitisation visit to Festac Girls College in Lagos on Saturday in commemoration of the 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD).
Afolabi, along with Oluwadamilola Adebamipe, a female engineer with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led an inspiring career counseling and empowering sessions at the college.
She also promised to renovate the school in addition to supporting the 10 students to achieve their dreams with the support of her company, Kaystone Global Resources Limited.
Afolabi said that she would be visiting the school periodically to engage the students on career talks to make them focused on what to do before passing out from the school.
Afolabi, a former student and prefect at the college, inspired the secondary school girls to seek to attain greatness irrespective of their living conditions and other societal biases confronting them.
She said that she had dreams of becoming a successful business owner, having started selling small-scale sachet water from the economics store when she was the Home Economics prefect at the school.
“Be confident in yourself. You can be the best version of yourself and achieve anything you set your heart on. You’re in good hands in this school. If I could come out of here and be a success, you can do the same and even attain greater heights.
“I celebrate you because as I look at you I’m convinced that among you are managing directors, senators, House of Representative members, governors, if possible a first female president.
“In the past women were restricted to household duties, but today women don’t just contribute to the home but also other aspects of the society. Modern women are no longer dependent on men,” Afolabi said.
She expressed satisfaction that schools and colleges now celebrate women’s day, stressing that it will instill respect and care for women in the minds of the young generation, right from their childhood days.
According to her, it is a great responsibility to empower women and it is necessary for gender equality because society is better when women are given equal respect and are not taken for granted.
“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination; a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
“Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs Oluwadamilola Adebamipe, a marine engineer, revealed how she broke the bias at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria, Egypt, and emerged best graduating student with First Class.
She revealed that she graduated from a public secondary school, Okemesi Grammar School, in Ekiti State.
“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon but I have always been passionate. You have to decide what your future will be.
“I learnt that when I was three years old my grandmother would always stop me from touching her fans and sockets because I was always looking for something to damage and repair.
“This was engineering skills and I started saying I wanted to be an engineer while in primary school. Everyone said engineering was for men but I was resilient.
“I wanted to go into Electrical Engineering but I was frustrated by JAMB for about five years. I was later sponsored by NIMASA to go for a scholarship in Egypt.
“I saw just two courses offered by the Academy; Nautical Sciences and Marine Engineering. I didn’t know what Marine Engineering was about then, but I was so excited that the course had engineering. For me, it was a dream coming true,” she said.
She also noted that her lecturers tried to persuade her to jettison Marine Engineering, asserting that the course is for men but she always gave them a resounding no and insisted on doing the course.
“I made the first class from the first semester with 3.51, but I kept working harder and by the second semester I had 3.9 out of 4npoints. Some people called me a witch because of my grade but I said yes, that’s how we succeed in Nigeria.
Read Also: QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Who is the Ship Master?
“During onboard training I was also the overall best student and I left there with lots of awards. So, this is my story and it should inspire you to be resilient and go for what you want.
“Have a sense of responsibility, be humble but also know who you are,” the marine engineer said.
Adebimpe, 31, mother of two kids, advised young girls not to allow their backgrounds to define them.
She explained that their parents had already played their parts in bringing them into the world as the responsibility for their lives is based on their choices.
Earlier, the school principal, Mrs Anthonia Akinyemi, commended the maritime professionals for visiting the school and inspiring greatness and excellence among the students.
Akinyemi advised the students to tap all the opportunities available for them in achieving their dreams.
Speaking on behalf of the students, the Head Girl of Festac Girls College, Miss Kemi Asumo, appreciated the mentors and thanked the school principal for allowing their former student to visit the school.
Kindly like us on Facebook
