JDPC launches IT training

AS part of efforts to empower the youths with the Information Technology (IT) skills, the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in the Catholic diocese of Lagos, has put together a computer and IT training programme, reports STELLA EDMUND.

According to the Coordinator of the programme, Mrs. Rose-Mary Onyeukwu, the skills acquisition is a refresher course for students aimed at developing them for the challenges ahead.

Mrs. Onyeukwu also said that about 360 students have been registered already and are currently undergoing the training from different public and private schools across the state.

Also speaking, the assistant parish priest, St Agnes Catholic, Maryland, Rev. Fr. Augustine Nnemeka, noted that several children were idle during the recent strike and this leads to all sort of evil acts, adding that the programme was aimed at keeping them busy and also to teach them computer as means of communication and information dissemination locally and globally.

The training, he said, was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation Nigeria, in collaboration with the parish council for its youths, adding that the idea behind it is to build the youths with the required skills and keep them away from danger.

He called on parents to pay attention to the needs of their children to make them responsible citizens of the nation.

A participant, Miss Joan Ofondu told ITRealms Online that the computer training has been so rich and educative and has afforded her the opportunity of being computer literate.

JDPC is the official response of the Catholic Church to the socio-economic challenges facing various levels of the society.

In line with the church guidelines setting it up, JDPC is to help and support deprived people of all races, religion and gender as well as an outreach programme of the church, coordinated under the Church and Society department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).

With presence in almost all the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses nationwide, each JDPC discharges its responsibility according to its local situation.

Most JDPC at their levels target groups for these programmes which basically need not be Catholics but members of all other churches and religions working in collaboration with human rights cum access to justice groups, good governance enhancement programme, micro-credit and small business development, peace building and conflict management in addition to environmental, HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support.


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