The Lady Mechanic Initiative - "Welcome to the official website"

Lady Mechanic Initiative Background Information

The lady Mechanic Initiative is a Not for Profit organisation set up to rehabilitate and empower deprived young girls in a sector that was once less attractive to women and seen as male dominated. The initiator of the programme, Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh is a young woman of immense potentials who took on the challenge of training as a mechanic. She has not only excelled as a mechanic with unique standards, she has gone ahead to rehabilitate some girls and train them to be mechanics. This training is meant for the vulnerable less privileged; those that wish to further their education but do not have the means, to peoples from all ethnic groups in Nigeria and across the world. The attention is mainly on the female fellows who are physically strong, the men folk can also be considered but on a very small percentage.

LMI is set to impact sustainable entrepreneurial skills in the poor, marginalized and vulnerable people in Nigeria thereby helping them to reintegrate into the society, enrich the wider society and achieve lasting impact.
The women do not only find a job, they also have more self esteem and are healthier. And it’s not only the girl that benefits from the training; it’s also her family, partners, friends, and the environment.
Our mission is to empower the women in auto mechanic skills as a profession to create wealth for a sustainable source of livelihood. It’s all about the life of the young Nigerian ladies. Most of the girls live in densely populated areas in Nigeria

VISION
LMI Seek a society where poverty, misery and disease has been overcome and people live in Dignity, peace and social security.

GOAL
To empower women through Auto Mechanic to wealth creation for a sustainable source of livelihood.

OBJECTIVES

To teach useful trades to the poor and vulnerable in the society i.e. orphans, widows, prostitutes, street urchins, hawkers
Rehabilitate and empower them about the benefits of leaning a trade and living a positive life based on hard work.
Carry out periodic motivational talk/campaign in resource poor communities, ghettos, hotels, along the streets of poor communities
Partner with established workshops that can impart advanced technical knowledge on the girls
Use the initiative as a weapon of change in the mechanic profession (i.e. environmental, health and training matters)
To act as an empowerment avenue for the girl/lady without the source for training..
To help stop prostitution and other vices and establish a respectable source of revenue.

Some statistics about LMI

LMI have trained and empowered, 3 set of graduates, Set 1(2), Set 2(7) and Set 3(50) in the last 7years
At the moment there are about 49 graduates trainees gainfully employed
At the moment there are also about 25 trainees in their second year
About 55 trainees are in their first year, 50(Benin city), 5(Lagos)
Most of the trainees are of an age under 25; this covers a percentage of 76. It is possible to start on the age of 14. As Sandra was 14 when she started as well.
More than 97% of the current trainees are women.
More than 40% of the current trainees didn’t follow any education at all.
About 5% of the trainees are currently in university aside; training to become a lady mechanics.

Sandra Aguebor- Ekperuoh

The First Lady Mechanic in Nigeria

Founder Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI)

MD/CEO Sandex Car Care Garage

ASHOKA Fellow (Washington DC USA)

Sandra Aguebor- Ekperuoh, Robert Kokoma, a native of Benin city, Edo state, The First Lady Mechanic in Nigeria (Sandra Aguebor) was born in the 70s into the family of late Mr. &Mrs. R.A Aguebor. She attended Ivbiotor Primary School, St Maria Goretti Grammar School in Benin, later to Benin Technical College for further technical skills and finally a graduate from Auchi Polytechnic, all in Edo state, She also had a degree from The GOETHE INSTITUTE, a German school based in Lagos State. Currently Sandra is acquiring a part time degree course in Mechanical Engineering.

She secured her first employment with Bendel Transport Service now Edo Line in Benin City, as officer in charge of maintenance and repairs in the workshop for three years, and later with Nigeria Railway Corporation in Lagos for another three years before deciding to be on her own. While on her own, she managed fifteen trucks for a haulage company that distributes confectioneries to the North and other parts of Nigeria.

A devout Christian, Aguebor says that God spoke to her through a series of childhood dreams and told her that she should become a mechanic. With no other mechanics in the family, her father initially scoffed at the idea, until he traveled to the US in the 1980s and saw women working in positions considered "men only" in Nigeria. Back in Nigeria, he gave her his full support, but her mother was not in support, because she was afraid of the physical challenges associated with the profession. Nevertheless, she forged ahead with her dream at the age of Fourteen years. Although her first "garage" was a patch of land covered with cardboard for shade and which was demolished by authority, did not deter her. Today she is a brewing success. She has always aimed high. An avid reader of self-help books, Aguebor encourages her girls to think big – and they do.
Sandra Aguebor- Ekperuoh, is the Founder/CEO, Lady Mechanic Initiative, (a not-for profit organization set up to train young ladies in auto mechanic profession and wealth creation)
Over the past years, the NGO has achieved so much, with the Head project office situated in Ikeja area of Lagos state, Nigeria,

7 Girls have completed their full 3 year programme and are now gainfully employed within the auto-mechanic industry.
1 refugee boy trained and graduated March 17th 2006
50 trainees sponsored by MTNFoundation and graduated in August 2009 and also gainfully employed.
I Trainee supported by Chevron Nigeria Limited.
14 trainees sponsored by BENEFACTORS
10 Trainees being supported by Global Fund for Women USA.
15 young girls being supported by Eureko Achmea Foundation, Holland.
15 pay and train center partnerships established, these training centers carry Lady Mechanic Initiative stand designated specifically for the girls to maintain and ensure the presence of the initiative.
3 trainees sponsored by Citi Serve Micro Finance Bank in collaboration with VIGEO
I Trainee sponsored by British women Group, Lagos.
I Trainee sponsored by Mr Adekunle of VIGEO Holdings Lagos.
Trainees self help classes on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and its dangers and lots more being supported by Freisland Food, WAMCO.
100 Trainees supported by COCA Cola Nigeria Limited/ Nigeria Bottling company Plc, in Benin City Edo State.
12 Pay and Train centers established as partners in training in Benin City Edo state

ACHIEVEMENT AND RECOGNITION..
Some of her special achievements are:

Sponsorship to visit seven states in America by the U.S government in 2004 through the American consulate.
The BBC Web Site & BBC World News, The New York Times, The South Africa Broadcasting Cooperation, (SABC) South Africa, The CNN World News, the Voice of Africa, USA and the Christian Mirror, USA have shown a documentation on her.
Recognition by Emotan, celebrating the feminine virtue, African Nation Builders Gold award by Vision Africa
An award from Edo state Government for her Excellence in Mechanical Engineering.
An award from ASHOKA, as an ASHOKA FELLOW, an organization that rewards people that have rare innovations and initiatives, in Washington DC. USA. This gave her the opportunity to feature in the Global Book on Economic Empowerment published in Washington DC.
She won the ISPCAN Honorary Membership Award. Each year ISPCAN offers 50 new complimentary two-year membership awards to emerging leaders in child protection working in developing countries and countries in transition. (January 2008 – December 2009).
Featured on NTA channel 10 programme”ON the Road”, where she lectures and trains on tips for vehicle maintenance, every Saturday.
She also organizes and trains corporate drivers on fault finding and rectification to properly maintain the companies’ fleet of cars.
Has also featured by Communication for Change (CFC) a 30 minutes documentary, shown on DSTV (35 Countries in the world) this showed her innovations and attracted enthusiastic response.
Received an award from her state, by the Ministry of women Affairs and social development Edo state that marked the 2008 International Women’s day celebration in Benin city, Edo state, (theme Financing For Gender Equality And Women Empowerment) the award Nite was to recognize and appreciate some women of Edo state who have excelled in their different career and field of Endeavour as they serve as role models
She was selected as a Woman Actor for Leading Change and invited to take part in the 2008 Women’s Forum Global Meeting, held in Deauville, France, October 16th-18th.2008. She was the only Nigerian Lady Mechanic representative amongst all world women entrepreneur
She has being interviewed and featured on media like SPIEGEL Online (Quite Revolution) France, US magazine Ode,

Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh and few of the prospective graduates visited Yenagoa; Bayelsa state on invitation by the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State to Bayelsa State Government house, the outcome of the visit was an immediate response to start up the Lady Mechanic Initiative in Bayelsa State for 100 young girls of the state.
Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh visited the First Lady of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Hajia Turai Yar-Adua in the State House Abuja, on the invitation by the First Lady to a private meeting. The upshot was the endorsement of the initiative and response to start up the Lady Mechanic Initiative in Abuja and her home state in Katsina and to other Northern States.
Sandra Aguebor – Ekperuoh visited the Edo state Women Association, Uk for plans of collaboration to support young women in Nigeria, While in USA, she visited Carbley garage and Women Tech, where she was able to update herself on new Modern Auto technology and diagnostics innovation.
Sandra Aguebor –Ekperuoh recently visited the great Oba of Benin Kingdom, with few of her Benin trainees for the Oba’s blessings, on the Benin city LMI project, the outcome of the visit was a donation of a piece of land from the Oba immediately to start up a Mega mechanic village
Sandra on her recent visit to Edo State was given a special and ceremonious invitation to see the Queens of Edo state, (Oba’s Wives), prayers and blessing was said upon her by the Head Queen, mother of the great Benin Kingdom
SPEAKER: WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS
She participated as a speaker in some functions which included:

Think Tank meeting 2005 organized by ECOWAS, hosted by Nigeria, where all the ECOWAS Countries met at Ota, Ogun state, Nigeria.
She also was a speaker during the Scenario Based Strategy Development workshop 2006, organized by African Business Strategies, Netherlands, in cooperation with Phillips consulting and The Lagos Business School; this featured over 50 CEOs from reputable companies in Nigeria, held in Obudu Cattle Ranch Calabar and Social Entrepreneurship: Exchanging Global and Local Experiences organized by United Nations University and International Leadership Institute, held in Amman Jordan.
She was a delegate at the Common Wealth Business Strategy held in Abuja, Nigeria, Organized by United Nations Development Funds for Women, (UNIFEM)
In 2007, she attended the Women’s Peace Conference in Texas, USA where additional interest to support this great initiative was gained, Women from 60 countries attended this conference, Sandra was the only female mechanic present at the occasion, and she talked alongside others on Poverty and Migration.

PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT.

Sandra Aguebor- Ekperuoh has also received several visitors from within and outside Nigeria, some of which are; Clare Short of British House of Common (Parliament), Artics and Leaders Quest of Surrey, TW10 6RE, UK; Sheila Hlanjwa of Laithitha Wines, South Africa with plans of collaboration to take the lady mechanic initiative to Cape Town, South Africa, International Entrepreneur exchange programme US and lots more.
Due to her uniqueness the Netherlands Government through Lagoon Hospital in collaboration with HYGEIA, “a health maintenance organization” nominated the Lady Mechanic Initiative for the community health insurance plan for all her trainees and families at little or no cost yearly.
Some other individuals and companies has also supported the organization, amongst which are,

MTN Foundation is her third break through after her training of 8 females and 1 refugee boy from Sierra Leone, MTN Foundation feel in love with her initiative and decided to partner with her; they sponsored 50 trainees for 3 years.
She also broke the barrier of the Muslim Community “ISMUF group”, by also taking 12 of their women into training even with all their HIJAB outfits, they still partake in all training
Former First Lady of Lagos State Chief Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu. (Moral and Financial).
Former Ministry of Women Affairs, Lagos State (Moral support, Recognition, commendation)
Daisy Dajuma(Moral support, Recognition, commendation) ,
WOTCLEF, Abuja (Ensured Federal government support and recognition)
Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, (PAN) Kaduna (Certified Training)
Transmission by Lucille, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Support & training partnership)
Carl bury Garage, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (donation of tools, training on diagnosing in motor vehicles)
CHEVRON, (Training partner, Employment and Financial)
Stephanie Balikos( donation of training tools and office equipments )
Commissioner of Police Lagos state, (moral and security support)
Sara Hindle, Portsmouth,UK (fundraising & volunteer) capacity building and donation of office equipments
Mr. Henry Omoragbon (BOT), donation of office furniture
Citi Serve micro finance bank and Vigeo Holdings
Started a partnership with VSO, where expertise in our area of concerns are brought with the support of VSO to help Fundraise and capacity building for LMI
Coscharis Motors, Lagos, (Certified Training) The girls are usually sent to the plant to train for three months
Established a health partnership with WAMCO Nigeria PLC, Friesland foods, where the health experts give the trainees monthly health talk and also donations of milk for trainees well being.
Multi National Auto mobile companies, such as Toyota, Elizade Globe CFAO, etc, have also be included in the employers list for the LMI Graduates
Oprah Winfery Show has also shown interest in collaborating with Lady Mechanic.
COCA Cola Nigeria Limited and Nigeria Bottling company Plc, supported the training of 100 young women in Benin City Edo State.
His Royal Majesty, Omo N’OBA NEDO Ukuakpolokplolo, Oba Erediuwa, CFR, donated a piece of land to the Lady Mechanic Initiative for the project in Benin City.
The Liberia Government had recently invited Sandra to launch her project in Liberia for the country to benefit form this great project.

This young Lady Sandra is also the CEO/MD of Sandex Car Care, (specialist in maintenance, servicing of mostly used cars and sales of spare parts for commonly used cars), she maintains and services fleet of cars for MTN Communications, KAKAWA Discount house, Transocean, Alandick, Zenith Bank, Ikoyi Club, CNN News, BCC News, Games Shopping Complex, AIICO Insurance, WHO, United Nations and lots of notable individuals.
SANDRA ALWAYS SAYS TO PEOPLE “When You Empower Somebody, You Are Building A Nation Economically, Socially Technologically In Which Crime And Social Vices Would Be Reduced”

Today Sandra, the Lady Mechanic as she is popularly called, is known in so many countries all over the world. She has to date 75 trainees, 41 trainees graduated in August 2009 and her dream is to see that women mechanic in another five years have Lady Mechanic Initiative franchise all over Nigeria and Africa as a whole. THIS LADY CANNOT BE STOPPED NOW BECAUSE SHE IS A MOVING TRAIN……

The board members cut across different works of life:

Board members:


Chief (Mrs.) Titi Abubakar (Grand Matron)	Mr. Henry Omoragbon(Nigeria)	Mrs. Sandra Aguebor-Ekperouh Founder

Prof. Jemie Onwuchekwa	Mrs. Funke Osibodu	Mr. Theodore Ekperouh(Sweden)

Arch. Harris Igiehon	Mrs Evelyn Edawmen (Nigeria)	Hajia B.O. Tinubu
Bar. Kehinde Aina (Nigeria)
Stephanie Freckzo(USA)

General car care services

The training of young women to be auto mechanics enhancing them to create wealth for themselves, add value to the society and have dignity as women.

We also train women in the repair and services of generators, household water pumping machine and also in plumbing.

Training of corporate drivers and private individuals in acquiring basic auto mechanic skills to help them in cases of emergency.

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Lady Mechanic Initiative Background Information