Driving Force

If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation. African Proverb

Sandra E. Aguebor went against tradition when she started the Lady Mechanic Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. The country has a strong educated elite that includes many women who have risen to power. Yet poor women in the country struggle to feed their families by working notoriously underpaid occupations as hairdressers, maids or other trades with low status as well as little money. Ms. Aguebor, a single mother of two, saw many women who could not deal with their own car repairs and that sparked an innovative idea- teach poor women to become mechanics. Previously a job only for men, thanks to Ms. Aguebor there is a robust training program for disadvantaged young women to take up this good paying career. In fact, she is not just training women to work for others. The graduates from her program are learning to open their own garages. Not only can Ms. Aguebor do car repairs and teach others how, but she has marketing talent as well. She has won awards and serious financial support, even traveled to the United States as a result of her brilliant work. This is one lady determined to help more women climb into the driver’s seat and stay there.