The AUN Honor Society reached out to students at Government Girls Secondary School in Yola on October 11, 2022, to teach them basic financial literacy. The training, led by Mr. Ahmed Aliyu, Assistant Director of Community Service, was the final component of the Honor Society's community service activity, which began on September 27 with the training of secondary school students on the production of soaps, powder detergents, and sanitary towels. The training concluded with a financial literacy class and the knitting of household items. The six-week training program aimed to help teenage girls reduce the cost of basic hygiene while also learning to keep themselves clean and earn money.
Ms. Soma Wokemba, President of AUN's Honor Society, explained that the training was conducted in collaboration with members of the AUN Entrepreneurship and Leadership Society (ELS), "to explain and inform the students on how to use the skills that we've been teaching them to make and save money, and to empower themselves and others."
Ms. Wokemba stated that her team had taught the younger girls how to make detergents, medicated soaps, and sanitary towels in the preceding weeks, adding that the training "was very effective as they gifted us some of the soups they made to keep." The day's training, according to the AUNHS President, was "a theoretical aspect of the empowerment program, based on basic concepts of running a business and doing it hygienically, because one has to be clean while running a business."
The GGSS students, led by the Vice-Principal, Academics, gathered in the school's "Michika" event hall, the site of the training program.
Mr. Nnaemeka Charles-Igbe, an Information Systems major, defined financial literacy as "the common sense on how to use money wisely" during his financial literacy lesson. The student facilitator explicitly instructed students on the fundamentals of a business plan, organizational structure, and SWOT analysis. He also discussed how to fund a business using bank loans, family and friends fund raising, personal savings, and bootstrapping. "When you identify a business opportunity, your strength is what you can do well in terms of product or service." Anything that hinders your ability to make money from your business is a sign of weakness. It is an opportunity when you can identify problems in a location that you can solve with your products or services. And threats are things that impede your company's growth and success." "I'll buy a pen with this money that I've won and save the rest," Maryam Abubakar, a JS 2 student who won an instant prize for her consistent and active participation in the program, said. I'll keep saving until I can start selling something to our school's students.' Another SS 2 student, Favour Christopher, who already sells donuts on campus, stated, "I'll try to save some money from this small business and start a soap business someday."
Mrs. Nancy B. Midala, Vice-Principal, Academics, expressed her appreciation to AUN students for the training. "I am always grateful for AUN's concern and charitable acts toward our school and students; we can't repay you, but you will be rewarded someday, somehow."
Reported by John Abah