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BVST Academy doles out N5m to women entrepreneurs

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2021

Olu Emmanuel

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The Business and Vocational Skill Training (BVST) Academy and Leadership Development and People Initiative (LEAD-P),

has empowered one hundred women entrepreneurs in riverine communities around Apapa council area of Lagos State with 5million naira.

The masses self reliance oriented body, made the commitment in its resolve to change the narrative as it pertains people confronted with lack of basic amenities that could boost productivity.

The NGO with some collaborative supports from National Directorate of Employment NDE, MICURA Services Limited and other sponsors organized a Women Empowerment Intervention Programme targeting Riverine Communities, with 5million naira to 100 women,50,000 naira to each.

The initiators of the scheme disclosed that the intervention targets impacting 5000 women in a phased manner, to grow their commerce and build a virile homefront across 36 riverine localities in Apapa and environs.

According to Comrade Babatunde Ifenuga who is the President BVST and Principal Consultant, LEAD-P, empowering women makes a whole lot of difference in every society, because they are one of the main determinants of what the future holds.

Comrade Ifenuga added that crimes and all sort of social vices, most times traced to wards of the seemingly forgotten people in such communities could be nibbed in the bud, if a little focus is channelled towards making life more bearable for them.

He said that the first phase flag-off of the intervention programme churns out 100 women, who had acquired skills that can help improve their incomes after several months of training on the Island.

“We believe supporting women, will help grow household economy, as the economy of most family depends on the women. So when women are empowered it has a spiral effect on their children,homes and the communities.

“Women have been down played and for so long denied the needed adequate support, these challenges made us focus on women.

“The need to open up the riverine communities propelled us to focus on women,to help them build their capacity and empower them so that they can contribute to the economy of the community and by extension that of the state.

“The level of poverty prior to now is alarming coupled with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on our economy in the communities.

“There is the urgent need to stem the tide and create wealth and the only way we could do this, is to support women to create wealth so that they can contribute effectively to the development of the community.

“It is pertinent to ensure the wide gap between riverine communities and the city is bridged because there is inherent danger in the obvious inequality as children from that community may become a threat to the development, growth, stability and peace experienced in the city.

“Just imagine,Tincan and Apapa port sitting behind this people who have no pipe borne water, have no light,have no schools,have no hospitals.

“One can imagine the kinds of children that will grow in such communities, they grow up with so much hatred and anger,God forbid if that is unleashed on the city,it will be very bad.

“So that we don’t have militants and bandits here,the best thing to do is to show love to them through their mothers, help and support them so that they can play key role in the development of their communities economy and distribution of wealth in Lagos State.“

Mr.Favour Dakoru Executive Director/Co-Founder BVST Academy in his own recap of the entrepreneurship intervention, hinted a gory tale that further intensifies his interest in raising the bar for women in the riverine areas.

“My visit to the riverine area where I saw a pregnant lady and baby died because the husband could not afford to take her to the hospital,that gets to me.

“That informs why we embarked on the training to grow homefront economy through skill acquisition, as well as grow their financial intelligence of what lucrative ventures to go in to given the peculiarities of their area.

“Women have to realize that regardless of the challenges they must increase their resilience and capacity.”

He noted that the main challenge for BVST is availability of funds,urging well spirited individuals to team up with the body to better help women and youths live the poverty index bracket seamlessly.

Women from the under served riverine communities through the Manager Island Women Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program (MIWEEP) graduates, call on the government to put social amenities in place in their domain to make life more meaningful.

Two of the beneficiaries who spoke with National Daily, notes that the eye opening effect of the programme in the enhancement of their individual capabilities is awesome.

Mrs Joyce Raymond Gold, a pig farmer who lives in Irede riverine community was full of eulogies,while commenting on the impacts of the skill acquisition exercise.

“The MIWEEP training is insightful we were put through skill acquisition and techniques of investment,that we should not eat our capital.

“We small scale enterprenuers need government consideration with regards to funds that can help us grow,farmers,caterers,hairdressers and others need help,government should empower us.

“Women are special people and we go through alot in the riverine area,child mortality is on the increase all because there are no hospitals,we also lack other basic amenities like,good schools for our children,pipe borne water and more.”

Also a participant, Mrs. Stella Abidemi a provision seller turned caterer from Irede community, notes that the programme made her appreciate the need to factor in ones environment when drawing up a business plan.

“In time past when I use to sell provisions, water use to enter into my stall and spoil items,so during the training I got the idea of considering the environment before going into any business.

“I later went into catering business but given the peculiarities of our area,where there is no light,no water, soup in the freezer get sour and I throw it away, because most times we relied on generator to refrigerate it.

“I urge women to wake up from their slumber and be counted.” Said Stella.