No fewer than 200 women in Borno State have been empowered with vocational skills and startup packs by a foundation in a bid to support their return to economic self-reliance after years of insurgency.
Speaking in Maiduguri on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Yakolo Indimi Foundation said the initiative was part of efforts to rebuild livelihoods disrupted by over a decade of Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
She explained that the beneficiaries were selected across the state through a needs-based assessment and trained in various income-generating skills.
According to her, “This programme is designed not only to enhance women’s economic opportunities but also to strengthen digital gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response mechanisms across affected communities in the state”.
Indimi, represented by the secretary of the foundation, Ali Goni Sheriff, stated that with these trainings and startup packs, the beneficiaries have received a foundation upon which to grow far and strong, enabling them to support themselves, their family members and others around them.
The Foundation noted that the empowerment is part of a broader strategy to restore dignity, and resilience and fight against poverty and hunger among vulnerable women especially who lost their sources of income due to conflict and displacement.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the foundation to supporting post-insurgency recovery through humanitarian services and promoting inclusive development towards women across North-East Nigeria.
Some of the beneficiaries, Fatima Nur and Aisha Mohammed, have lauded the foundation for organising the empowerment programme, describing it as timely, given the plight of women amidst the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
They pledged to utilise the startup grants to establish businesses that will cater to the needs of their families.
Another beneficiary, Hadiza Musa, expressed gratitude to the Yakolo Indimi Foundation and called on well-meaning Nigerians and non-governmental organisations to follow suit by empowering more women, particularly those affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
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