Borno, UNFPA empower 100 women IDPs with skills, grants

The Borno State Government in collaboration with United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) has empowered 100 female Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with skills in book keeping and trades with N700, 000 take-off grants.

Presenting the cash grants after training session at Maiduguri Bakasi IDPs camp, the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Fanta Baba Shehu disclosed that the training of women IDPs was to address poverty and unemployment before they return to liberated communities in the state.

She said that the two-day training skills on book keeping and trades, was not only to empower the trainees, but reduce poverty and dependency among women IDPs in camps.

Shehu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Amma Gangaran urged the participants to scale up activities to alleviate the sufferings of the most vulnerable groups.

Her words: “Your trainings which centre on primary book keeping are aimed at introducing your acquired skills into the basics of business operation, particularly the maintaining of seed capital (N0.7 million) and related knowledge in sewing, baking and other trades.”

She stressed that the grant which women are expected to benefit is aimed at empowering them through self-reliance warning that the grants should not be diverted for other ventures other than developing and expanding their businesses.

She however noted that in any insurgency or violence, women and their children are most affected.

Amma also said that when women are empowered, the nation is equally empowered in reducing poverty and unemployment among returning IDPs in Borno state.

She urged the women to form Cooperative Societies so that they could access more operating funds from the government and microfinance banks.

Zainab Hamman, an IDP trainee also thanked the Borno state government and UNFPA for empowering 99 other participants who had already commence their small scale businesses in camps and host communities.