{"id":15041,"date":"2016-03-28T23:52:19","date_gmt":"2016-03-28T23:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/?p=15041"},"modified":"2016-11-28T16:22:28","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:22:28","slug":"lady-mechanic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/lady-mechanic","title":{"rendered":"Meet Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh, Nigeria&#8217;s First Lady Mechanic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a6b39195b99473d6c9dd698db2668010\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:2px 0 2px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<center>\r\n\r\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\r\nfunction ShorterThan(widthMax) {\r\n                if (screen.width < widthMax) {return true;}  \r\n                else {return false}\r\n    }\r\nvar LimitWidth = 728\r\nvar MobileZoneID = 348996\r\nvar DesktopZoneID = 348995   \r\n<!--\/\/<![CDATA[\r\n   document.MAX_ct0 ='';\r\n   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?':'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?');\r\n   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);\r\n   document.write (\"<scr\"+\"ipt type='text\/javascript' src='\"+m3_u);\r\n   if (ShorterThan(LimitWidth)) {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+MobileZoneID);} else {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+DesktopZoneID);}\r\n   document.write(\"&nodis=1\");\r\n   document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r);\r\n   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write (\"&exclude=\" + document.MAX_used);\r\n   document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : ''));\r\n   document.write (\"&loc=\" + escape(window.location));\r\n   if (document.referrer) document.write (\"&referer=\" + escape(document.referrer));\r\n   if (document.context) document.write (\"&context=\" + escape(document.context));\r\n   if ((typeof(document.MAX_ct0) != 'undefined') && (document.MAX_ct0.substring(0,4) == 'http')) {\r\n       document.write (\"&ct0=\" + escape(document.MAX_ct0));\r\n   }\r\n   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write (\"&mmm_fo=1\");\r\n   document.write (\"'><\/scr\"+\"ipt>\");\r\n\/\/]]>--><\/script>\r\n<\/center>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh is the first female mechanic in Nigeria. She is sharing her skills with other women through the Lady Mechanic Initiative. This organization trains women who are often former sex workers, orphans, or victims of human trafficking. It has built a strong network of female mechanics across cities in Nigeria. The initiative has recently spread to the north in Kano City. \u00a0Aguebor-Ekperuoh said that so far, the response has been positive &#8211; &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our clients keep coming back &#8211; they prefer us because we are determined to be better than a lot of mechanics who take their job and their salary for granted<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>A rough start<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aguebor-Ekperuoh grew up in Benin City. She has loved working with cars since she was 14. Her peers would make fun of her when she changed into her mechanic\u2019s clothes after class. At first, her mother was not supportive of her ambitions, sometimes even beating her if she caught her working with an engine instead of doing her chores. Both of her parents pushed her to consider a different career, but she had already made her decision. Aguebor-Ekperuoh started saving money by helping women on the side of the roads. She then worked until she could open her own garage. She struggled with opening her first automobile workshop in Lagos in 1995. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;The constraints, the obstacles, the challenges that could have driven me back, they became my opportunity. The future looks bright,&#8221; she said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15046\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15046\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-15046\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/sandra-aguebor-lady-mechanic_2.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/sandra-aguebor-lady-mechanic_2.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/sandra-aguebor-lady-mechanic_2-600x333.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/sandra-aguebor-lady-mechanic_2-85x47.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realgorealaz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Sandra-Aguebor-Lady-Mechanic_2.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>An opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aguebor-Ekperuoh saw an opportunity to help her fellow Nigerian women. While educated women have made progress entering the labor force, women without a higher education &#8211; the majority of the population &#8211; have trouble finding work. There are\u00a0very few opportunities for women to receive training and apprenticeships for blue-collar jobs, such as carpentry, car servicing, and plumbing.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThese problems persist and are compounded by the perception that women\u2019s work is not as valuable as men\u2019s work,\u201d Ashoka.org said. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And if these gender roles keep being reinforced, it affects the next generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00a0<strong>\u201cAs Nigerian girls grow up, they will define their career aspirations by what they see achieved by their mothers\u2019 generation.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2004, Aguebor-Ekperuoh received a grant and launched her nonprofit: the Lady Mechanic Initiative. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15044\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15044\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15044\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/download-3.jpeg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/download-3.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/download-3-600x364.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/download-3-150x90.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/download-3-85x52.jpeg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15044\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/55413e81e4b09452587d75bf\/5542bf73e4b095129a4d8a5b\/5542ccd0e4b0f37cdc4d1c6f\/1433646834220\/?format=1000w\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Spreading like wildfire<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since it was founded, the initiative has trained hundreds of women to become mechanics. Aguebor-Ekperuoh described her approach as \u201cteaching other women how to fish\u201d to make sure they can find skilled, well-paying jobs as mechanics. This allows them to become self-sufficient. Aguebor-Ekperuoh said that at first, people were dismissive, expecting the initiative to fade away with time. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;But, right now, we are solid. I have been able to empower about 300 female mechanics in Nigeria,\u201d she said. &#8220;I will say to you that there is no automobile company in Nigeria that does not have female mechanics, and they got all these girls from me. So it&#8217;s spreading out like a wildfire, gradually, and also empowering other women. And we don&#8217;t intend to even stop in Nigeria,&#8221; she added.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The graduates have reported success after the program. 24-year-old Rebecca Egoche had been a prostitute since she was a teenager. One day, she saw Aguebor-Ekperuoh speaking about her program on television. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cI just saw this woman talking about her business with all this strength. \u00a0She was her own person. And I knew I wanted to be just like her,\u201d she remembered. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Egoche\u2019s life has been transformed. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThis is a man\u2019s job in Nigeria, so I like surprising them. \u00a0I like making them say, \u2018Wow.\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15045\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15045\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15045\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/87401bce5de9691015612734ca2744b5.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"650\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/87401bce5de9691015612734ca2744b5.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/87401bce5de9691015612734ca2744b5-600x305.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/87401bce5de9691015612734ca2744b5-85x43.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15045\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com\/736x\/87\/40\/1b\/87401bce5de9691015612734ca2744b5.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/sudan-president\">SEE ALSO:\u00a0Is Somalia Ready For A Female President?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh is the first female mechanic in Nigeria. She is sharing her skills with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":15046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,110],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Meet Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh, Nigeria&#039;s First Lady Mechanic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"She has loved working with cars since she was 14.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/lady-mechanic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh, Nigeria&#039;s First Lady Mechanic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"She has 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