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The Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation, and Protection (CEE-HOPE), yesterday conducted an empowerment program benefiting 40 women in Lagos.
This initiative aimed to support economically disadvantaged women by providing them with essential equipment such as grinding machines, sewing machines and grants to support their businesses.
Betty Abah, the Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, emphasised the significance of such gestures, particularly in light of the prevailing economic challenges in Nigeria. She highlighted the importance of empowering women through tangible tools like grinding machines, citing their effectiveness in generating income, especially in rural and low-income communities.
Abah drew parallels between the impact of grinding machines and a biblical reference to the widow who only had oil, underscoring the transformative potential of these tools in empowering women economically.
“Earlier today, I told them an average grinding machine is like what was captured in the Bible about the widow, wife of a son of the prophet who only had oil,” she compared.
“Bringing women together to talk about empowerment, about saving culture and capping it up with virtual reality about empowering them with grants, and what we call empowerment tools-giving them grinding machines because we have found that it is really a money generating tool for women in rural areas, low income communities for economically vulnerable people, widows, single mothers. This is what we see as way to truly empower them,” she explained further.
Continuing, Abah relayed experience growing up in the village where owners of grinding machine were kings.
“Growing up in a semi-urban area and spending a chunk of my childhood in the village with my grandmother, we spent time with her each year and we discovered the people that had the grinding machine were more powerful than the village chief because you cannot afford to offend them. You are going to starve if they refuse to grind for you because we eat a lot of starch, cassava flour, corn meal, kunu because these were staple food eaten daily,” she said.
Giving a background of the initiative, Abah said, “We started this initiative last year with grinding machines on women economic empowerment. A lot of our programs are sponsored by a couple; a 91 year old man and his wife who is in her late 80s. They are happy with our work and they keep supporting us and we believe that they continue to support us.”
While the program initially aimed to distribute 50 grinding machines, economic factors led to a reduction to 40 machines. Nevertheless, Abah expressed optimism about the long-term impact of the initiative.
“We started this last year with 50 grinding machines, but because of the inflation, we were not able to do that much, we did 40, we added sewing machines, it has been empowering for the women and I believe they will continue to use it in this hardship, plow their income back into their businesses to grow and the grinding machine will continue to bring income for the family like we have always done in the past, we started it last year and we believe it will continue to grow.
“I like to say that livelihood empowerment to communities is one that is very close to my heart, people have to be alive before talking about their human rights, people need to eat, a hungry man is very vulnerable to fall victim to the oppressor, by viscious government. So once you are economically independent you can stand up to the oppressor but when you are hungry you can not. Livelihood empowerment is very close to my heart and women especially, you can put a lot in the hand of women and you can believe it will grow,” she said.
Among the beneficiaries, Omolola Awesu from Osun State expressed gratitude for the opportunity, emphasising the potential of the machine to alleviate financial burdens and improve livelihoods.
The machine will be a source of income to relieve her with certain financial difficulties.
“I am from Ilesha in Osun State. I am so happy today. The machine will benefit me a lot, it will be of great help. I live at Ota in Ogun State. I pray for the donour, they will be blessed of God and the glory of God will continue to radiate in their lives. They will always increase by the grace of God,” Awesu prayed.
Similarly, Omodunni Akinsanmi, a single parent, expressed joy and appreciation for the support, highlighting the positive impact the grinding machine would have on her ability to provide for her child.
“I live at Abule Odu, I feel so happy today, I am excited, it will help me a lot because I am a single mother, my child will be able to go to school from what I make with the grinding machine. I appreciate them, God will keep blessing them,” Akinsanmi said.
Bridget Simon, who received a sewing machine, welcomed the empowerment tool, recognising its potential to benefit her family and future generations.
“I am so happy today, it is God’s doing. I am from Ebonyi State, I am so happy today and I appreciate CEE-HOPE for what they have done for us, it shall always be well with them,” Simon prayed.
Mrs. Joy Chiadikaobi, a widow from Imo State, expressed profound gratitude for the assistance, acknowledging the vital role the machine would play in supporting her family financially, particularly in meeting her children’s educational needs.
“I am from Imo State. I am very excited, I thank God for making this provision for me because it has not been easy for me since two years ago but I thank God for putting this opportunity in my hand and I am very happy and grateful, may the name of the Lord be praised and the woman that God is using to do this will never see shame, her family will be blessed, long life and prosperity, her going out and coming in will be preserved and God will show them mercy all the days of their lives in the name of Jesus,” she prayed.
She added that, “The machine will support me financially and help me with my children’s school fees and our upkeep.”
The empowerment program spearheaded by CEE-HOPE represents a concerted effort to uplift women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with the means to enhance their livelihoods and achieve greater economic independence.
Through initiatives like these, CEE-HOPE continues to make tangible contributions to community development and gender empowerment in Nigeria.
