Some women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received empowerment materials from a nonprofit making organisation, Women for Peace and Unity Growth Initiative (WPUGI) to boost their standard of living.
The items, which included grinding machines and accessories, sewing machines and accessories, coolers, and others and cash, were presented to the women of Daki-Biyu community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Abuja, by the founder and convener, WPUGI, Yemisi George.
“I have been passionate about women generally in the suburbs, and I just think they are so neglected and they do not have a voice, and being a security and gender expert, over the years we have come to a conclusion that security, poverty and violence are interwoven; meaning where there is poverty, violence will always be linked to it.
“We are here with grinding machines, sewing machines, coolers and some money for them to start their businesses. We are not giving them the money to divert to something else. We spoke to them and asked them what they really wanted to do?
“Some said they wanted to do yam business, roasted yam business, ugwu, tomato, firewood, and others. It doesn’t cost much to empower women but the most important thing is what the women want.
“Not that you give them N10, 000 and they use it to settle debt owed, but to use it prudently and productively. What we are doing here is continuous, and we will monitor them. The total number of Gbagyi women here is 95, but we are starting with 45.
“We do not have any funding from the government but as an NGO we raise our funds to do this and it is a gradual thing which will go round the FCT and Nigeria.”
The Chief of Daki-Biyu Community, Malam Ishiaku Lamishi, thanked WPUGI for coming to his community. “We appreciate the convener of WPUGI, Yemisi George, for taking the initiative to come to our village to empower our women and also to bring peace among us because where there is no peace there cannot be meaningful development.
It is my wish that the organization also provides borehole or hospital for the community,” he said.
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