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Group empowers 200 Lagos women

By Benjamin Alade
14 April 2016   |   2:15 am
A pro-women Non-Governmental Organisation, Inanna Women Empowerment Foundation (IWEF), has called on charity organisations across Nigeria to rise up to the needs of the un-employed and the less privileged in the country.
PHOTO:blog.concern-universal.org

PHOTO:blog.concern-universal.org

A pro-women Non-Governmental Organisation, Inanna Women Empowerment Foundation (IWEF), has called on charity organisations across Nigeria to rise up to the needs of the un-employed and the less privileged in the country.

IWEF noted that at no time did government need the support of charity organisations and wealthy individuals than during the current economic downturn with its untold hash effects on the un-employed, particularly women and young tertiary institutions’ graduates.

The General Manager of IWEF, Pastor Theophilus Izobofolo made this call in Lagos, while kicking off a three-week long vocational and skill training for single mothers, female graduates and under-graduates.

The General Manager of the non-profit organization disclosed that about 200 participants are expected to benefit from the programme, which began last Thursday and would run till May 20, adding that, well over 40 took part on the first day.

Three of the participants who spoke with The Guardian confirmed Izobofolo’s earlier remark that the programme was free; including the registration and tools used.

Among skills in which participants are being trained are soap making, air-freshner making, fruit-juice and ice cream making etc.

The Foundation recruited and paid specialists and experts in all the various fields for the skill acquisition programme to train the participants.

What is probably most heart-warming is the pledge by the Foundation to give financial assistance to some of the participants who excell at the end of the programme to help them start their businesses based on the skill acquired at the programme. Each beneficiary is expected to be given a minimum of N50, 000.00. This gesture was also confirmed by some of the participants who spoke with this reporter.

Speaking on the charity history of the group, Izobofolo said that the Foundation was established in 2007 with the mission to positively intervene in the life of women, especially the less-privilege ones who according to him are in the majority and form the bedrock of an efficient, hardworking, morally upright and God-fearing society we intend to build.

According to him, the Foundation is anchored on the belief that given the opportunity, women are honest, more integrity conscious, caring, sharing and more dependable than men, but are at a great disadvantage.

He said this was what informed the initial goal set by the group to give empower one million women in Nigeria and in some African countries in the first decade of its formation.

The IWEF chieftain said though it has not been very easy sourcing funds, he however noted that the group has made its mark as it had so far empowered about 250, 000 women in the country and in some African states, this is apart from the numerous scholarship awards it had given to thousands of under-graduates in Nigeria and in some other countries.

He expressed the appreciation of the organization to the Lagos State Government which he said had been supportive in the area of manpower assistance in its health-related programmes. He also re-called the support of some corporate organisations, especially banks whose assistance he noted has helped to sustain the work of the Foundation.

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