“Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and Saviour.
The ministry for the Centre for Vocational Empowerment and Development started off, at first, as a community feeding project in February 2007. Free lunch was provided to about 300 less-privileged people every Friday. This feeding project was funded by the church.
In November 2009, we moved this community feeding project to a higher level; it became a programme known as FEEDS – Free Economic Empowerment & Development Strategy. It provides free training in particular skill areas to several people to make them economically self-reliant. Some of the training areas include event decoration and planning, screen printing, catering, textile, bead and hat making, computer appreciation and desktop publishing, adult literacy, hairdressing, home-use chemical production (such as liquid soap, stain removers, insecticides, cold water starch, disinfectants, toilet wash, body perfume, perfumed petroleum jelly, air freshener, hair cream, etc). The training holds every Friday in the church compound. Currently, about nine (9) sets have graduated from each of the 3-month training sessions. The church procures training materials and provides a stipend for the trainers/entrepreneurs as the programme is entirely free for the trainees. Certificates are awarded to all trainees in the vocational empowerment programme.
Early 2012, we reviewed our strategy for the community feeding project and introduced our Supermarket Sunday where we give out packaged raw foods to the church members, who in turn give them out to the less-privileged in the community.
Still in 2012, by the grace of God, we took the FEEDS programme to other nations in Africa. So far we have been to countries such as Liberia, Chad, Benin Republic, Niger, Togo, Sierra-Leone, Gambia, Guinea Conakry and Burkina Faso.
By the grace of God, early 2013, we now have a legal platform from which projects like FEEDS and other mission initiatives, such as School of Pastoral Nurture and Leadership here in Nigeria and all the other countries we have been to, will all operate from.
This legal platform is what is now known as the Centre for Vocational Empowerment Development (CVED). It is our firm conviction that with CVED, lives will be enriched, poverty will be alleviated, entrepreneurs will be raised and ethical leaders, who can reign in this 21st century, will be inspired!”
– Rev. David Olatona
Centre for Vocational Empowerment and Development 
[…] History […]