SHEALS, a global initiative geared towards helping women’s development and growth has, again, committed to empowering women to drive sustainable change across Nigeria.

SHEALS Boot Camp 2.0 was held in Lagos by The Amon Gem Company. The programme aimed at helping women heal, grow, and thrive in the workplace.

With the support of LAPO Microfinance Bank, the Amon Gem was able to empower 20 women financially to boost their small businesses, create a lasting impact beyond the boot camp.

The founder of SHEALS and therapist/mental health advocate, Ayodeji Michael-Oni stated that the initiative was created out of a deep concern for the often-overlooked emotional struggles women face, ranging from trauma, self-doubt, societal pressure, domestic violence and financial incapacitation.

“SHEALS boot camp was born out of my concern for the wellness of women. Women do too much for everyone around except themselves. I have come to understand from my years of therapeutic practice and especially with women; that a woman’s sweetness is invalid without wellness,” Michael-Oni said in a statement.

According to her, the boot camp is a biannual event that aims to foster mind empowerment to achieve mental health sustainability and productivity in women. She discloses that SHEALS combines the two words; She and Heals.

Michael-Oni stated that the boot camp brought together hundreds of women for a transformational experience centered around inner healing, empowerment, and sustainable change.

She also disclosed that through SHEALS, women are rewriting their stories and reclaiming their wholeness, which also align with her life’s mission: “When a woman heals, a generation is restored.”

According to her, this year’s boot camp was not just a gathering, but a movement that saw mental health experts, financial experts, and wellness coaches, help women learned to rebuild their self-esteem, navigate trauma, and develop emotional resilience.

She also disclosed that SHEALS 3.0 will be held in December, and the initiative plans to empower more women mentally, emotionally, and financially, ensuring that no woman is left behind on her journey to healing and purpose.