Seventeen-year-old Abubakar Mustapha carefully pieces together the straps of a new pair of footwear at a small roadside shop in Shuni, Sokoto State.
Mustapha had become a shoemaker in just three months after training at Dange Shuni Child Friendly Space, sponsored by the Eleva Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
A few months ago, he had no vocational skills, no formal education, and no hope for the future; but now he is a skilled shoemaker, selling handcrafted shoes and handbags.