Skills Acquisition on the Plateau with Dan

Dan Kwallat an entrepreneur and philanthropist who has the vision of inculcating his acquired skills for sustainability and manpower development for the growth of the society through ‘Kwallat and Sons Enterprise’. An interview with Dingse Bitrus Nandom.

Please tell us about yourself?

My name is Daniel Kwallat, I am from Qua’anpan Local Government Area of Plateau State but based in Jos. I am into skill acquisition training under the name Kwallat and Sons Enterprise. We train people on different hand works. 

Kwallat and Sons Enterprise is an organisation whose sole aim is to train not only the people in Plateau State but the whole nation. I am proud to say that Kwallat and Sons Enterprise has made many youths, women, and widows amongst others financially independent by training them towards acquiring different skills and using these skills to salvage themselves from poverty and idleness.

 Do you have a specific category of people you train?

No. We train every category of people; women, men and youths. Whoever has the interest to acquire the skills that we offer.

Is there some sort of payment for it or you conduct the trainings for free?

 There are payments made, but we give Religious bodies and schools discount. They pay a token to help us buy the materials for the training(s). 

What do you produce or train people to produce?

We produce about seventy-three products; liquid soap, bar soap, disinfectant, powdered milk, chocolate powdered drinks, candles, hair creams, beads, makeup and many others.  

     

Do you have any form of partnership with the Government or private organisations?

Right now we partner with King Friend Ministry; they are always with us in all that we do. This is the only organisation that is partnering with us.

Where is your office located?

We have our office at Building Materials market right now because Kingsway Ministry provided us with an office space, it is along Bukuru road close to the National Open University. 

What is your source of funds for the organisation?

As I said earlier when we arrange these training, especially at churches or organisations that initiate the training, we only ask for few things, when people buy the form for some amount, we have our handouts and certificates which we sell to participants. Our certificate goes for one thousand naira and the handouts are given out for five hundred naira only.

As the C.E.O of Kwallat and Sons Enterprise what can you say is the major challenge(s) the organisation is facing or has faced?

The challenges we find right now are mostly due to the economic situation of the country. We mostly find ourselves in between people who want to learn and finance. There are people who are eager to acquire some of these skills but cannot afford because of this we try as much as we can to help and consider people. We consider people with half payments. We do this not because we want to do charity but because we want to help our community and the people who live in it. 

Again it has not been easy with the organisation especially financially because at the end of the day we need to give the facilitators a token. However, I thank God for the facilitators who understand the dream we have. It is our own wish that many people get to acquire these skills for their benefits and that of the community.

Presently what are you doing to tackle these challenges?

To overcome the challenges, we require the State Government, NGOs as well as, well meaning Nigerians to partner with us and help us touch the lives of the people. I always encourage participants to go out and be become blessings to their immediate society after acquiring these skills. It is always challenging when people who are suppose to come and participate in these trainings stay away and also when the Government is suppose to partner and help people to acquire skills fail to do so.

What inspired you to start a skill acquisition programme?

One thing that inspires me the most is the background I came from. I grew up in a home where we had lots of challenges, and when I grew up things have never been easy for us. I decided to work hard and truthfully because I realised that most people who are doing very well in our society now are people who have worked and still working very hard. I decided to start something that will benefit the masses in our society and to encourage people to work hard with their hands rather than wait for Government or big office jobs that are hard to come by. God has seen the sincerity of my heart and has been helping me since then and has made me to be a blessing to many lives since then.

Do you believe that your organisation has been successful?

Yes, the organisation Kwallat and sons Enterprise has been successful to a large extend, and I thank God for the target we have set out for ourselves. We have set our minds not to give up on the dream even though the challenges have been there. I’m glad to say that we are still pushing it and hope this Organisation doesn’t just end in Plateau State but to reach the rest of the States in Nigeria. I also thank God for the testimonies that people are giving every time we train people and it amazes me.

What personal benefits have you gained from your organisation, whether in cash or in kind?

Well, I must have to thank God for  the testimonies alone are my benefits. Although the physical benefits are not there but I thank God and feel blessed and fulfilled as I see people grow and prosper through the organisation. 

How many people have you trained so far?

From when we started the programme and the data we have, I would say, we have graduated over three thousand trainees.

What do you indulge in as a form of relaxation?

I really don’t have time to relax because there is no day that I don’t receive phone calls from someone, asking me to please make soap for him or her; they need body cream and so on. People call me on daily basis. It is busy every day of my life.

How many workers do you have or do you work all alone?

I have five persons working under me. 

Are you married?

I am not married yet.

What is your advice for people looking up to you?

My advice to them is for them to have the good mindset and passion for what they want and God will come to their aid. I always focus on ladies because they are the ones that people take advantage of and there is need to do away with that mindset. When they call me and ask for how to acquire a certain skill I always encourage them on what they can do to help themselves. Right now those working under me are ladies and you can see how enthusiastic they are with task assigned to them. 

Are your products in the markets?

No, I am not into production for the market. I am strictly on training people, helping them to acquire the knowledge. It is my trainees that are into producing and marketing and you can find their products in the markets.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself beyond the shores of Nigeria because my dream is not just to end here but to continue growing and gaining grounds into other countries.    

This interview  originally appeared in the Natifz Times newspaper "the true reflection"