Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
No fewer than 5,000 residents drawn from the 326 wards of Anambra State on Thursday, benefited from a large-scale empowerment programme spearheaded by the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr Mrs. Nonye Soludo.
The empowerment exercise, which began on September 10 during the visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, continued at the Lighthouse, Awka, with beneficiaries receiving various tools and equipment aimed at supporting their livelihoods and reducing poverty.
Addressing participants, Mrs Soludo described the initiative as “the mother of all” her empowerment projects, explaining that about 1,000 beneficiaries were supported on the first day before the exercise was extended across all local government areas of the state.
She said ward committees were constituted in all 326 wards to identify deserving beneficiaries, with names replaced where selected individuals were found not to require the equipment.
According to her, “The programme is driven by the desire to support people who are willing to work, start businesses and become self-reliant.
“The beneficiaries have been grouped on WhatsApp according to their local government areas to enable continuous monitoring, mentorship and accountability.
“I urge the beneficiaries to use the equipment effectively and train others to multiply the impact of the intervention,” she said.
Explaining the motive behind the empowerment, the governor’s wife said the ultimate idea was to support the indigent at the grassroots to upgrade the means of livelihood.
According to her, the current hardship in the country makes it imperative for government and well-meaning groups to provide any form of succour they can to support struggling citizens to make ends meet.
Addressing mothers among the beneficiaries, Dr Soludo asked them to be intentional about how they go about their children’s upbringing, warning them against exposing their children to acts that can mar their future.
Mrs Soludo also used the occasion to advise residents to be cautious about the recent flooding in parts of the state, urging those in vulnerable communities to remain alert, educate children on flood safety and relocate whenever necessary.
She further called on residents to report child abuse and other harmful practices to the appropriate authorities, stressing the need for communities to look out for one another.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Esther Onyekesi, commended the governor’s wife for her sustained support for women, children, Persons With Disabilities and the mentally challenged.
She recalled that Mrs Soludo recently empowered nine mentally challenged persons undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Nteje.
Speaking on behalf of Persons With Disabilities, the State Chairman of the Joint Association of Persons With Disabilities, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke described the intervention as unprecedented, saying it was the first time people with disabilities from communities across the state had been included in such a large-scale empowerment programme.
He pledged that beneficiaries would put the equipment to productive use to improve their livelihoods.
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