Hello Hive
I may not have learnt some skills or lessons in the four walls of school but here are the things I learnt as a child that are still very useful to myself and my society.
To start with I have my mother to be grateful to for the many empowerment skills which she taught me as a child and which I find very useful even in this present age. Growing up as kids we weren't Fortune to attend the rich kids schools where you are privilege go through some skill acquisition programs. They combine both academics and workshops to give student hands-on training and no wonders those set of students often graduate as the best in our society
The government basic school curriculum does not cover any of those skill acquisition programs and if any teachers happens to organize a little practical, we the students are made to contribute money needed for the materials for such practical. I remember learning how to make soap in Preliminary school but I barely used that for anything else ever since we carried out that lesson. The next time they had organized some computer trainings we were only taught how to locate and type our names on the keyboard.
In such school setting where there was no handon training everyone was learning and studying just to have a decent Profession as Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, Accountants and all of those big names that are important professions and well recognized in the country. Our childhood dreams is to learn and become certified in any of those professions.
I can say that not everyone got lucky in that line and some of us have to deviate to some other task which we have learnt now or back in the days that are still very relevant to us now. As a young girl my momma taught me how to be independent involving myself in almost every task or skill that is within my reach of learning.
I remember following her to the farm on several occasions where I learnt how to grow crops. You dare not be lazy around her. From her I learnt what farming entails and how to grow the grains that puts food on my table till date.
It didn't end there I learnt several food processing techniques from her as well. Do you know that 90% of your harvested food items can go back if you do not know how to process and store these foods.
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The series of food processing techniques I learnt are these:
I learnt how to process Palm-oil from Palm fruits.
Processing of Garri from Cassava was another local skill I learnt from my mum, it was a part of the family business. Nigerians consume alot of cassava products. Hence I learnt various methods of processing cassava products, there was basically none of it I didn't learn how to do. Paradvebture I own a small industry for processing food today it will be one of the best since the I have learnt some of the secrets of how to get these things done properly.
I could make brooms, palm kernel oil(a very important oil in chemistry for making soaps and creams) all from Palm trees.
I learnt how to make our local condiments ("Iru and Ugba") they are used as seasoning for our meals before the advent of Maggi cubes and guess what we still prefer these condiments to the industrial manufactured seasonings.
All of these skills are very important to me in this present day and not just myself alone. Neighbors, family and friends are all benefitting from my farms and processed foods.
This is my submission to the #aprilinleo daily prompt day 16 and i invite you to check out this link for more interesting topics and be a participant.