A non governmental organization, Helpline Foundation For The Needy has for ninteen years, support widows and vulnerable people with life saving entrepreneuriial skills and assorted gifts.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, while marking this year’s reach out, the President, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu said about 450 people were selected from 3 states and the FCT to be part of the 2022 event.
The Igala born philanthropist disclosed that this year’s fiesta marks the 19th anniversary of the Foundation’s charity works which has been adjudged to be one of the most impactful welfarist one can projects.
The beneficiaries were said to have acquired different skills, like shoe making, bag, soap, cake, and others, from the free training organised to empower them.
Dr. Ahmadu said the beneficiaries came in their numbers to showcase products from their specialized skills acquisition training; which has made them to be become financial pillars to their immediate families and sources of inspiration to others around them.
“This is the 19th edition of Helpline Foundation For the Needy Abuja End of the Year reach out to widows and vulnerable women and other groups .
” We are here today also basically to make them show to us what they have been able to acquire between January and December 2022. Because We brought them together to help them acquire some skills, so we want to see what they have learnt.
” We also want them to have fun during this yuletide season. Some were trained in shoe, bag, soap, cake making and many other things. Some of them were also taught how to start a business with zero naira, as well as package somethings within their environment.
On where and how she Drows strength to keep afloat for ninteen years amist financial constrained , Dr Ahmadu said,
over the years, the Helpline Foundation, with the support of different donors, have ensured that widows and other vulnerable youths, were provided for and guided to make wise economic decisions that will stand the test of time.
In her words:” We have 450 beneficiaries, these are beyond Abuja, but even Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.
“This is our own way of bringing them out to ensure that they have food. Nobody is too poor to give and nothing is too small to give, if you wait until you have everything in the world, you won’t be able to help any body, so people who feel what they have is not adequate to help others should come and learn from Helpline Foundation, we don’t have much but we still want to give and stand in the gap between the vulnerable people and those who have in Abuja.
“And if people see your consistency, and the fact that resources that are been entrusted to you, goes to the right beneficiaries, they are always looking forth to when we will call on them to give.
“Because if we go to them, they give us, we come out and we give these women who will be very happy that they are going to party and have a good Christmas with their children this year.
“My strength is drown from my friends, family and God Almighty who gives us the grace”. She emphasized.
Most importantly, she said “We also have a special group of Youths who have been able to make charcoal and electric energy stoves.They are part of Helpline Foundation project for the boys, people say we focus more on the girl child, so we went to some rural communities in the FCT to look for these boys with restive hands and have channeled their restiveness into positive use”
They have some energy stoves we are going to display here today.I wont the government and well meaning Nigerians to pay attention to them to see how they can put these boys to proper use , these boys can make dromes, they can make airoplanes , am not jocking, you will see them and their facilities are at Karshi. So people should go and see what these boys are capable of doing and how government can support them to put Nigeria on a positive angel in the global community.
Also speaking, one of the trained entrepreneur, Titi Akinsola , said “am from Salama love group , am very happy to have benefited from Helpline Foundation. I have been a member of this group for the past 5 years, a lot of things have been done for us, skill acquisition. I learnt Catering and I have been making cake, and other pastries for sale. May God reward Helpline Foundation.
Another beneficiary, Ruth Joel, said:” am a beneficiary, infact I got a sewing machine about 5 years ago. And the sewing machine has helped me to feed my family and meet my other responsibilities. I want to appreciate Dr. Jumai Ahmadu for what she is doing for vulnerable in Nigeria.
