The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) has distributed food items and relief materials to no fewer than 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
The move, according to the association, is a humanitarian gesture aimed at alleviating hardship among the IDP communities in the state.The outreach, held at Shawuya Primary School in the Angwan-Kassa community, brought together, beneficiaries who received essential supplies, including food items, to meet their immediate needs.
The initiative, valued at millions of Naira, according to the association, underscores its commitment to supporting underserved populations in Taraba and beyond.
NAOWA President, Mrs. Mernan Femi Oloyede, described the effort as a reflection of the association’s commitment to uplifting disadvantaged families. Represented by the Zonal Coordinator, Mrs. Rachael Uwa, the president highlighted the importance of unity and compassion in building stronger communities.
Oloyede emphasised that the gesture was to support the IDPs, expressing NAOWA’s commitment to easing the suffering of affected families. Beneficiaries lauded the intervention, which they described as timely and impactful. Speaking, the leader of the IDPs, John Benard, noted that NAOWA’s efforts have continued to inspire hope and strengthen community resilience.
SIMILARLY, the senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, has urged Nigerians to embrace hope, unity, and compassion as they celebrate Christmas.
In her goodwill message, Uduaghan described the holiday as a time for reflection, love, and shared humanity. She called on Nigerians to extend kindness to the less-privileged and promote peace and harmony in their communities.
Acknowledging the economic and social difficulties faced by the citizenry, the lawmaker praised the resilience and determination of citizens, urging everyone to remain steadfast in his/her pursuit of a better and more prosperous nation.She stressed the values of forgiveness, sacrifice, and patriotism.
Uduaghan equally sued for collective efforts to build a just and equitable Nigeria through service and accountability.ALSO, the Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASHWAN) has empowered females living with the scourge, and other vulnerable groups with life skills and start-up packs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to enhance their economic independence.
Its Assistant National Secretary, Helen Akpan, said the project was to boost their financial independence, alleviate the current hardship faced by members and provide them with a source of livelihood. She stated this at a two-day training workshop, organised in partnership with the United Nations Women and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, (SMEDAN), in Abuja.
She pointed out that 50 FCT women would be trained in poultry farming, ice block business and others, adding that start-up packs and other equipment would be given to them to facilitate their acquired skills.
Akpan underlined the need for women to have skills and economic empowerment to take care of their nutrition, drugs and other medical services. Principal Administration Officer, SMEDAN, Susan Jezreel, said: “On the part of SMEDAN, we are going to work with ASHWAN and the women to see how we can train and empower them on skills for entrepreneurship.
“We are not just training them for two days and then leaving them, we will keep visiting the cooperative groups to monitor their progress at intervals, and continue to give them training where needed.”
Chief Executive Officer of Kids & Teens Resource Centre and facilitator of the training, Martin-Mary Falana, stated that the participants would be empowered to identify profitable business opportunities, innovative ideas for marketing and selling, as well as how to form and manage a Village Savings and Loan (VSLA).
