Anambra State Government recently tasked members of the Association of Anambra State Women with Disabilities to strive to make themselves instruments of positive change for the wellbeing of man and society at large.
The advice was given at an empowerment program to give financial support to women with disabilities whose businesses had suffered, resulting from the huge impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges that hampered the progress of businesses in the country in recent times.
The beneficiaries were empowered with forty thousand naira each (N40,000), through the support of the State Ministry of Women Affairs.
The women who benefited from the exercise were members of the association, which also is under the umbrella of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra State Chapter.
Addressing the women on behalf of the state government, the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Youth Development Programmes, Dr. Nelson Omenugha, said the empowerment program for PWDs was in fulfillment of Soludo’s electoral promise to make life worth living for persons living with disabilities (PWDs) and support them in realizing their dreams.
Wealth creators
Omenugha, represented by Barrister Dubem Kervins, explained that the gesture was aimed at moving away from the charitable model of empowerment to a model that would make PWDs self-reliant and wealth creators.
According to him, the gesture would go a long way in enhancing the productivity of the women and also facilitate their contributions to the socio-economic development of Anambra State.
Omenugha who maintained that the exercise was in line with the social inclusion policy of the state government, stressed that the administration of Chukwuma Soludo would continue to ensure that the rights of PLWDs are protected and promoted through relevant policies and programs.
He advised the women to also imbibe the spirit of giving and contribute their quota to the growth and development of society.
“Beneficiaries of this gesture of the state government must imbibe the spirit of giving and contributing to society and see themselves as instruments of positive change,” he counseled.
Other speakers including the State Coordinator of Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre, Awka, Eucharia Anekwe; and former Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past state governor on Broadcast Media, Ify Okafor, educated the women on the essence of networking for a successful business. They also urged the government to do everything possible to erase harmful traditional practices targeted against women as well as persons with disabilities in the state.
The JONAPWD Anambra State Chairman, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, thanked the state government for the gesture, noting that the empowerment will assist in reducing the suffering of women with disabilities in the state. He advised the beneficiaries to see empowerment as an opportunity to break away from the shackles of poverty by making judicious use of the money provided for them.
Contributing, the Chairperson of the Association of Anambra State Women with Disabilities, comrade Nwanokwara Ncheta, explained that the gesture, being the first phase, was specifically for business members whose businesses suffered greatly from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the beneficiaries, while thanking the government for the assistance, said she would use the money to improve her poultry farm business to feed her family and assist other less privileged people around her.
Olusola Akintonde
