From Workshop to Real Life: How Gombe Youth Are Turning Lessons into Progress

For 15 young people, a Triumph Over Trauma and Stigma Initiative event became more than just another training programme.

By Jenis Irmiya Manni

September 21, 2026 | GOMBE STATE, Nigeria

A few months after the Triumph Over Trauma and Stigma Initiative brought together unemployed youths in Gombe state for a one-day advocacy and sensitization workshop, the real impact of the programme is beginning to show, not only in the businesses some participants have started, but also in the confidence, resilience and direction they have gained.

On February 11, 15 young people gathered at Hajiya Amina Multipurpose Hall in Gombe state, Nigeria, for what many of them initially saw as just another training programme.

But the day turned out to be much more than that.

Organised by the Triumph Over Trauma and Stigma Initiative, with support from Harper Hill Global, the workshop was created around a difficult reality facing many young people: unemployment.

For young people, being without a job is rarely just about not having a monthly salary. It can affect confidence, relationships, family life and even the way a person sees himself or herself. For some, repeated rejection and the pressure to succeed can gradually turn into frustration, anxiety, isolation and a feeling of being left behind.

That was the reality the training tried to address.

Rather than telling the participants simply to “work harder” or “find a job”, the facilitators encouraged them to understand what unemployment was doing to them emotionally, while also looking at practical ways they could begin to create opportunities for themselves.

The sessions on trauma, emotional wellbeing, unemployment, entrepreneurship, resilience and self-awareness gave the participants an opportunity to talk about issues that many young people rarely discuss openly.

Perhaps more importantly, they were given the opportunity to listen to one another.

The workshop created an atmosphere where participants could ask questions, share experiences and speak about their struggles without feeling judged. They were reminded that asking for help is not a sign of weakness and that unemployment, disappointment or past experiences do not have to become permanent definitions of who they are.

But the biggest test of any training is what happens after everyone has gone home.

The real story began after the workshop.

Months later, the participants have begun to show that the lessons from that February gathering did not end when the chairs were packed away and the hall became quiet.

Their journeys have taken different directions.

Some are building businesses. Some have continued with their education. Others have gained admission into tertiary institutions, while those already in school continue to pursue their academic goals.

A focused participant works intently at a vintage sewing machine, surrounded by vibrant fabrics and modern sewing equipment in a workshop setting.

 Comfort James Solomon

One of the participants, Comfort James Solomon, has successfully completed her studies and is currently undertaking her one-year National Youth Service Corps programme.

For Comfort, however, education is only part of the story.

During the period following the workshop, she also continued to sharpen her skills in tailoring and fashion designing. The skill has become more than something she simply knows how to do. It has given her another avenue through which she can support herself and remain productive.

Her experience reflects one of the central messages of the February training: while formal employment remains important, young people can also begin to build their own paths by developing skills and making use of the opportunities available to them.

Joshua Audu Kudi

Then there is Joshua Audu Kudi, whose story has taken another encouraging turn.

Joshua was able to raise enough capital to open a shop and start a business of his own. Since then, he has been working to grow the business and establish himself.

It may sound like a modest beginning, but for a young person who was previously navigating the uncertainty of unemployment, starting a business represents an important step.

It is also a reminder that progress does not always arrive in dramatic fashion. Sometimes, it starts with a small shop, a little capital, a decision to try, and the determination to keep going.

A young entrepreneur stands proudly in his newly stocked shop, showcasing a variety of goods ready for sale, symbolizing the spirit of small business ownership and community service.

Yakubu Vincent

Another participant, Yakubu Vincent, has also taken the entrepreneurship message to heart.

Yakubu ventured into online vending, buying and selling sportswear. What began as an effort to find a means of livelihood has gradually become a source of income for him.

More than simply supporting himself, Yakubu is also able to contribute towards the needs of his sisters and his mother, who is a widow.

His journey is particularly significant because it demonstrates how one young person's effort can have an impact beyond the individual.

The income he generates is not only helping him meet his personal needs, it is also contributing to the wellbeing of his family.

For a young person who could easily have remained trapped in the frustration that often accompanies unemployment, taking the initiative to start an online business has provided a sense of purpose and responsibility.

And perhaps that is one of the most important outcomes of the training, helping participants see themselves not merely as unemployed youths waiting for someone to give them a job, but as young people with abilities, ideas and the capacity to create something.

For others, education remains the path forward.

Some have continued to focus on education, while others who were seeking admission at the time of the workshop have since secured places in tertiary institutions.

Those who were already in school have also continued to make progress academically.

These developments may appear different from entrepreneurship, but they reflect the same underlying principle promoted during the training, which is, progress can take different forms.

For one person, progress may mean opening a shop.

For another, it may mean learning a trade.

For someone else, it may be gaining admission into university, completing a degree or simply finding the confidence to continue pursuing an education despite difficult circumstances.

The important thing is that the participants are moving.

The relationship did not end with the workshop.

Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the program has been the relationship that has continued between the participants and the TOTSI team.

The organization did not simply organize the training, take photographs, distribute whatever materials were available and walk away.

TOTSI has continued to maintain contact with the participants, following up on their progress and remaining available when they need guidance, counseling or advice.

That continued relationship has created something that is often missing from one-off youth programmes, a sense of follow-through.

Participants know there are people they can reach out to when they are faced with challenges.

And they have done exactly that.

From time to time, participants contact members of the TOTSI team when they need advice, clarification or emotional support. Sometimes the issue may be related to their education, business or personal circumstances. At other times, they simply need someone to talk to.

This continuing communication has helped keep the spirit of the workshop alive long after the formal training ended.

It has also created a two-way relationship. TOTSI continues to monitor the participants, while the participants themselves have remained connected to the organization and continue to share updates about their lives.

That connection matters.

For young people dealing with unemployment and the uncertainties that come with it, knowing that someone is interested in their progress can make a significant difference.

The lessons are showing up in everyday life.

The impact of the February workshop cannot be measured only by the number of businesses started or admissions secured.

There is also the quieter impact, the lessons that participants carry into their everyday lives.

The discussions around trauma and emotional wellbeing encouraged participants to pay greater attention to their emotions and those of people around them.

They were encouraged to communicate, seek help when necessary and avoid suffering in silence.

The workshop also challenged the way participants looked at unemployment. Instead of viewing it solely as evidence of failure, they were encouraged to see the period as an opportunity to acquire skills, explore entrepreneurship and discover alternative ways of becoming productive.

The message from the workshop was simple but powerful: being unemployed is a situation, not an identity.

Participants grow into potential change makers.

Another important part of the February programme was the encouragement given to participants to share what they had learned with others.

The training was never intended to end with the 15 people who sat in the hall.

They were encouraged to take the conversations about trauma, stigma, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-reliance back to their families, friends and communities.

In that sense, every participant became a potential messenger.

The conversations they have with a friend who is struggling, a sibling who feels pressured, a young person who has lost hope or a family member experiencing emotional difficulties can become an extension of the workshop.

This is particularly important in communities where conversations about mental health and emotional struggles are still sometimes met with silence or misunderstanding.

The participants were encouraged to replace judgement with understanding and to recognise that young people need encouragement and support, not only pressure.

During the workshop, some participants had openly called on parents to ease the pressure they place on their children, particularly around employment, education and expectations for success.

The February workshop may have lasted only one day, but for these young people, some of its lessons have continued to live with them.

The true measure of the programme, therefore, may not be what happened inside the hall on February 11; it may be what the participants are doing with what they learned, and for now, their stories suggest that the seeds planted that day are beginning to grow.

Manni is a Harper Hill Global correspondent in Nigeria.

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