The Helpline Social Support Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, has marked its 22nd annual Reach Out programme for vulnerable women and widows drawn from the FCT, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa States.
Items distributed to over 500 beneficiaries including persons with disabilities, who exceeded the projected 375 , include bags of rice, maize, wrappers, cooking oil, beans, garlic, salt, tomato paste and seasoning.
Founder, Helpline Social Support Initiative, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, in her address at the event, emphasised the importance of compassion and shared experience.
She disclosed that items distributed this year were largely sourced from the organisation’s farm, including garri, beans and cassava products, processed by volunteers and beneficiaries.
Dr Jumai Ahmadu, said “This one is not different from what we’ve been doing in the past 22 years. Every year we just want these widows and vulnerable women to have a feel of Christmas”.
She noted that 21 clusters drawn from Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi and parts of Kaduna States participated, adding that incentives such as a dryer and sewing machine would be awarded to the best-performing cluster.
Dr. Ahmadu added that “We started with less than 50 women, now we have over 2,500 women in the Helpline fold.”
She explained the cluster-based empowerment model, including the non-profit revolving loan scheme, where women contribute monthly to empower others within their groups.
Dr. Jumai added that “the cluster is growing, many beneficiaries are now suppliers of liquid soap, sesame seed cake, peanuts and bags”.
Kadijat Usman of Khady Peace Foundation For Orphans And Widows Gwagwalada, Abuja, a beneficiary in her testimony, said the empowerments by Helpline “…brings out the darkness in widows and replace it with light… We have four graduates now, not without the help and intervention of Helpline Foundation.”
A daughter of a widow, Adama Adam Abdulsalam, a 200 level Linguistics undergraduate at the University of Abuja, said “Helpline has supported us with a lot of things… it is through businesses established with their money. Money from businesses help with our school needs.”
The Helpline Social Support Initiative empowerment will continue in Kogi and Nasarawa States next week.
