…calls for assistance from FCT women
Ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy Abuja, has organised their 20th edition end of year party for vulnerable women, especially widows who are stereotype and marginalized.
The President, Dr. Jumai Ahmodu who spoke with newsmen in Abuja while observing the 2023 reach out, said the Foundation have about 350 women spread across 50 clusters of FCT, Nasarawa and Niger states to Carter for in this year’s Time out with the windows.
She also disclosed that her group has evolved strategies to make the yearly celebration of the less privileged people, more impactful, by teaching them how to fish by themselves, than just giving them fish to eat.
Speaking on the peculiarity of this year’s event,Dr. Ahmadu said “We decided this year to make a progress report of what we have been doing.The women we have, we brought them out to teach them some skills.
“We now said let’s see what they have done by way of inspecting and monitoring their progress,and see if the efforts we have put in place are yielding results, we are very happy with what we saw this morning”
“We saw them came out with bags and dresses, caps they have made, which means our efforts have yielded results”
Dr. Ahmadu while presenting the gifts to beneficiaries over the weekend, said that this 20th edition was packaged in collaboration with Mrs. Chinasa Ohaa, the President of Right Care Foundation and Mrs. Mariam
On the confronting challenges, the Kogi born Humanitarian and philanthropist said ” the most pressing challenge is funding, so we are trying to partner with FCT women to see how they can be assisted.
“So this development is what will encourage them, and it will portray that women are just waiting to be given enabling environment to express themselves, they are widows and have lived above their situations.This would enable them to earn money and to see their children through school, and also support other vulnerable widows in their midst, they have made that commitment and by this time next year we hope to see them inviting us for various launch of their products and that is what they are going to do.” She said.
“With the assistant from FCT women, it will enable us to show the world that Nigerian widows are widows that resilient and productive. When given the rights environment, they can do better and contribute to the growth of our economy and their products can go to export markets, and we are also happy that Nigeria Export Promotion Council is also training some of them already, to also let them know the exportable products”
In appreciation, one of the beneficiary said:” I have been benefiting from Dr Jumai’s Helpline Foundation for the past six years. Infact, I got a grinding machine about 5 years ago. And the machine has helped me to feed my family, train my children in School and meet my other responsibilities.
From this grinding machine, I made a return profit and assisted another widow and she is doing well too.I want to appreciate Dr. Jumai Ahmadu for what she is doing for vulnerable in Nigerian women, especially we widows.
The beneficiaries were said to have acquired different skills, like shoe making, bag, soap, cake, and others, from the free training organised by Helpline Foundation to empower them.
Also, the President Right Care Foundation, Mrs. Chinasa Ohaa, who was represented at the event by Richards Omotayo, said helping to ameliorate the conditions of the less privileged people, was a patriotic national service.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Mariam Haruna, of the Ladies of Grace, called on all stakeholders to join hands in empowering the downtrodden in the society.
High point of the occasion includes presentation of assorted food items and clothing to both women, children and the physical challenged.
