Mrs. Kelechi Prisca Egbom, leader of the women wing of the Leather Product Manufacturers Association of Abia State (LEPMAAS) has said that girl child, lady or woman who relies on the excuse that she is a woman to embrace failure in life is lazy.
Egbom who said she has been in the Leather Product Manufacturing industry, an SME system and network that has taken away over 50,000 persons off the streets since 2003, called on young girls to make themselves available to learn skills that will make them better women, capable wives and able mothers tomorrow.
Narrating how she started with diligent learning from those who know better. She added that it did take her much time to master the art of creating various fanciful designs used to add aesthetic touches to all kinds of leather products.
“The best way to start is to start. Always have self-confidence. I knew and I believed from the beginning that I can do this job notwithstanding that I am a woman. One thing is sure, whatever you agree that you can do as a human being, the Almighty God will always be with you as long as that thing is not evil.
“All I needed back then was to be determined and focused and I applied both determination and focus to get to where I am today. It’s said that what a man can do, a woman can do better. So, with that determination, I decided to push. I learnt about it and here I am,” she said.
Mrs. Egbom said learning and mastering the work didn’t take her much time because she was determined to succeed and desire to make a difference.
“It didn’t take me too long because I was already used to creating fancy designs for their bags and shoes to make aesthetic improvement. After getting married and thinking of what to do to make my life better.
“I got into it through the help of one of the shoemakers who helped me by referring me to another woman whom I learnt the craft in her shop. So, it didn’t take me more than a month to master it because I have eyes and mind for fast learning.”
Egbom said she did not just stop making moves to succeed when she must have learnt and mastered the art of creating beautiful symbolic designs for leather products.
According to her, “I didn’t stop there, I have to let people know what I can do. This was how I started meeting all the shoemakers I can reach to tell them what I can design for their products and that was how I created my identity and carved out a niche for myself inside Ariaria. I advertised my work to anyone I meet and that made me a household name here. Nobody will know you if you don’t say who you are and what you can do.”
The LEPMAAS women wing boss said that it hurts her to see her fellow women, especially young girls gallivanting, roaming about and getting into so many things that God and man frown at when there is a legitimate and socially acceptable means of survival available for them.
“I’m encouraging more women to join us to continue to make their families better. This is a work you can start with nothing and end up with something great.
“It’ll help them better their lives and fend for their families. You can do it from anywhere. It’s collaborative work. For instance, whenever I have a high demand for certain designs, to meet up, I share it amongst my fellow women to enable them to work as well.
“I have helped so many people. It is difficult for one person to satisfy all the customers’ demands coming here. We cooperate here by sharing works to make things faster. Those who are more creative especially the younger ones, make more money with their creativity. It’s a job that requires more brain than physical strength.
“Our job is dignified. It’s a noble job that one can beat her chest to say, I made my own money without depending on anyone. This job is a soul-saving job. It has rescued so many young girls that almost wasted their lives and turned them into good women, good wives and excellent mothers today.
“It’s not just about my own angle of designing, even those in the leather designing have been rescuing our youths as I speak to you. The majority of them are gradually embracing this job. Every girl has numerous needs, and it is these needs that push them into so many things just to meet up.
“My assurance to any of them who feels she wants to be a good person is that this job will make them self reliant and active. I teach a lot of young girls and even give them jobs to do for me which I always pay them for doing such jobs.”
She advised women to stop accepting that being a woman means playing second fiddle to financial responsibilities, stressing that God created a woman to be a helper, not an onlooker who waits for bread and make excuses.
“I advise our ladies and women to stop seeing themselves as women. I’m exposed enough to know that women education does not end in the kitchen anymore.
“We as women can transform the fortunes of our families today, help our husbands to make the family stronger without failing in our duties as wives, mothers or as women.
“There are huge opportunities for us out here. Excuses are no longer acceptable. I beg our women to come here and see their fellow women making bags and shoes that could be likened to those imported ones.
“We have young girls that are doing marvelously well and can take care of their needs. So, any girl out there saying she couldn’t do this or that because she’s a girl or a woman, I see such as laziness and I must ask such a person to wake up because time waits for no one.
“We must stop using our laziness as an excuse to accept a bad condition. There’s nothing strange here. Women can do better. Let them work hard. Everything is not about trading. We all must not be traders.
“God gave us brains and we have to use it to better our society by being creatively active. We can be more creative as women when it comes to bag, shoe and belt making,” she said.
Egbom described the leather products manufacturing industry in Abia State as a life-saving industry and a positive character molding industry where people learn that it is through hard work that God can give His blessings and not by cutting corners.
“Too many persons are employed here. Do you know that some bosses here do employ over 10 persons in one shop? I’m sure you’ve gone in to see some young secondary school leavers who just took their SSCE and have to get busy.
“There are also graduates who needed to acquire skills for better tomorrow who are here humbly learning. We’re bringing them here to get busy and run away from unwholesome behaviour.
“As for the younger ones, some of them will go to the university later if they choose, but this place gives them chance to see what life holds. It’s a place we cannot overestimate its importance to our society. It is a factory where capable humans are moulded and remoulded.”
She described the women wing of LEPMAAS as a fast-growing arm of the main body and expresses surprise at how the wing is rapidly growing.
“I never knew things will be this big, but after several pieces of training I’ve undergone, I’ve realized the importance of this organization job to the society. I’ve always encouraged my fellow women to see the importance of LEPMAAS.
“I can beat my chest to tell you that the women wing of LEPMAAS is growing rapidly. We now have our own executive in the women wing and that’s a huge achievement for us. We’re very organized and we thank our leadership for their support.”
She however said that they still have challenges which include access to financial aids that could enable them to do better.
“Finance is a huge problem, but I’m glad that the leadership of LEPMAAS is currently doing its best to help us stand properly. We need such financial aids and loans to enable us to do better.
“Again, some women still find it difficult to get shops in some zones within the clusters. It seems as if some persons believe women don’t have strength however, we’re breaking some of these challenges. I’m happy our leadership are with us.
“I also call on the government to extend their hands of fellowship to women in LEPMAAS because we’re good at what we do.”
