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Winner of best graduating trainee at Women Empowerment Programme Synergy Scheme (WEPSS), a corporate social responsibility platform of leading maritime logistics group, INTELS Nigeria Limited, Miss Ogbuenyi Evelyn Okwudili has described her experience as out of this world.

In an interview, Evelyn said “The process was competitive and tough. Even though I did well during the assessment but one can never tell how these things will play out in the end because five of us were vying for that spot”.

She said “On the whole, I have achieved my goal; I came for the training with the aim of getting the skill. I am grateful for the prize I was given; a starter pack that includes an industrial sewing machine, a steam iron, chair, a pair of scissors, seam ripper, chalk and a measuring tape”.

“I am excited and grateful to INTELS and my trainers for this opportunity. I learned so many things at WEPSS that other tailors don’t know about. For instance, many tailors don’t know the importance of a great finishing. But at WEPSS, a lot of emphasis is placed on the finishing of the clothes you sew. If the finishing is not neat, then your clothes can’t turn out well. There was a jumpsuit I had a tailor make for me; that was what I had intended to wear to my graduation ceremony, but because the finishing was poor, I had to wear something else. If not for my exposure to WEPSS, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought; I would have worn the jumpsuit like that.

“It is the little details like that that make a lot of difference. My mother was really excited for me that I won a sewing machine and not just an ordinary sewing machine but an industrial one. She has been urging me not to waste time but to go somewhere where I can learn cutting. What we were taught at WEPSS was basic tailoring; even at that, what we have been given is enough. The average tailor outside wouldn’t know what I know. They can’t do tape reading and are not aware of the history of tailoring. I plan to advance the learning and improve on some of the things I didn’t get here.

Evelyn revealed that she want to learn more in terms of the practical for cutting and then start out on her own on a small scale.

Explaining more on her training experience, the best graduating trainee at WEPSS averred that “The experience was really mind blowing. I really didn’t think tailoring was this interesting. Initially when we started, it was a little bit boring because I was new to it. But as time went on, it was not only interesting but became intense”.

“There was a time I felt like giving up. This was when we had to go through some exercises with papers. It was really challenging. Our trainers would draw lines on papers and ask us to sew on those same lines. It was really tough; I didn’t want to continue anymore. Each day we would start with tape reading and after that the paper exercise would follow.

She revealed that reading the measuring tape is something I am sure many tailors in our society can’t do, saying “I have never, while having my measurements taken by a tailor, observed them reading the tape the way I was taught at WEPSS”.

“It took us almost a month to understand the lines on the measuring tape. Then I also had some difficulty blending with the other trainees. I am a reserved person and always careful not to keep the type of company that would get me into trouble. The moment I got into the WEPSS centre, I observed that they maintain a high level of discipline.

According to her, “The training became interesting after we finished the paper exercise and then got into the fabric exercise. That is when our trainers would give us little pieces of fabrics to put together. When we are given the pieces, we would imagine what the trainers were driving at.

“But after being instructed by the trainers, the fabric eventually comes out beautiful. That was when I started picking interest. There were some other values our trainers tried to instill in us at WEPSS. We were taught the value of life and the importance of hygiene. We also learned not to discriminate between people and to shun gossip. I feel sad that the programme has ended because “I miss the experience and miss my trainers. I would have recommended my younger sisters for this training but one of them is currently preparing for her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the other is in school,” she noted with great amazement.