Twenty women from rural communities across six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been trained in bead making and baking, arming them with practical skills and newfound hope for economic independence.
The initiative, driven by the Film for Impact Foundation and funded by Rise Up under the SAVE Rural Women campaign, is a deliberate intervention aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and disempowerment that has long stifled opportunity in rural Nigeria.
The Founder and Managing Director of the Film for Impact Foundation, Bright Wonder Obasi, said for many of these women, access to education, digital tools, or income-generating opportunities has always been out of reach.
Obasi said with the high cost of data and the absence of digital infrastructure, online learning is not a viable option, stressing that vocational training becomes their most reliable path to empowerment.”
“The rising cost of internet services in Nigeria has deepened the digital divide, with many rural dwellers forced to choose between essential needs like food and access to mobile data. While digital tutorials abound for urban youth, rural women remain largely cut off from these resources.
This is where the SAVE Rural Women project steps in. With funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance from Rise Up, the program offered hands-on training sessions delivered by professionals. The goal is transform creativity into commerce,” Obasi stated.
Obasi stated stated that several participants have started earning income from their new skills, reinvesting profits into their homes and sending children back to school, improving family nutrition, and inspiring others in their communities.
The Project Manager, Maxwell Akujobi, said if more vocational training centres were available across the FCT, many more women would be uplifted.
Obasi urged the Minister of the FCT and relevant public agencies to establish permanent vocational training centers in rural communities.
“We can’t continue to leave rural women behind. They deserve every opportunity to succeed. What began as a two-skill training in bead making and baking has now ignited hope in homes that had once lost it. These women are no longer waiting for help—they’re building with their own hands.
“Thanks to the partnership between Film for Impact Foundation and Rise Up, the future is no longer something distant and unreachable for these rural women. It is right here, rising—one bead, one baked loaf, one bold step at a time,” Obasi stated.
