• Date: Saturday, 15th April 2023
• Venue: Former Caravan 4, Aja-Pessu (Pessu Town), Warri
• Topic: Bead Making
• Resource Person: Debi Amadedon
• Volunteers Present: 3
• Total Number of Attendees: 66
• Timings: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Summary:

The 12th session of the Itsekiri NextGen Project held on April 15, 2023, was dedicated to a creativity day, with a focus on bead making. The event was a great success as participants learned the art of bead making, showcasing their innovation and creativity in crafting beautiful hand bands.

Session Delivery:

In anticipation of the creativity day, participants were kept in suspense about the exact activity that would take place. This strategy sparked curiosity and excitement among them, resulting in early arrivals to the venue, Former Caravan 4 in Aja-Pessu.

The session commenced with Timeyin Kpiasi leading the opening prayer, followed by the singing of the Itsekiri anthem. The coordinator briefly reviewed the previous session, setting the stage for the main activity of the day.

Debi Amadedon, the facilitator for the day, introduced the art of bead making, explaining the different materials involved, including pearls, various colours and shapes of beads, elastic thread, and scissors. Participants learned that bead making is a craft that involves stringing beads onto a thread, with materials like wood, plastic, glass, metal, and stone commonly used.

The creative session was organized into five tables, each accommodating participants who were eager to learn and experiment with bead-making. The facilitator provided a practical demonstration, which inspired and motivated the participants to explore their own unique designs. Armed with their materials, they enthusiastically started crafting their hand bands.

The joy of the participants was evident as they played with different designs and colours, adorning the silver pearls on their stretchy strings. Before beginning, they carefully measured the strings to ensure a perfect fit for their wrists. The atmosphere was filled with excitement as each individual’s creativity shone through in their unique creations. Some participants used alphabet beads to spell out their initials, while others incorporated smiley and heart shapes into their designs.

As the session came to an end, the participants were encouraged to share their creations. The best designs were selected to be sold online, turning their creative endeavours into potential entrepreneurial opportunities.

What Went Wrong:

Despite the successful creativity day, one challenge encountered was a shortage of volunteers. To ensure smoother future sessions, it is essential to have an adequate number of volunteers to support and facilitate the activities effectively. This issue will be addressed in the upcoming sessions to maintain the project’s overall efficiency and impact.