Elizabeth Ogunbamowo
The Center for Health Sciences Training Research and Development (CHESTRAD) Global, an African-led non-state social enterprise, has introduced an initiative in Lagos State geared towards bringing hope to women and children.
The CEO, Lola Dare, who spoke during a press briefing on Tuesday, said the project named Tariro, will target 500,000 women in the space of two and half years.
She said: “Tariro is a health and financial inclusion programme which gives and expands access of children, girls and women to financial products and services. Tariro, will as a special purpose vehicle under this programme target women in urban slums in Lagos and leverage financial services and technology to enable 500,000 women, and through them also give additional 2 million children access to qualitative services in health, nutrition, and early learning.” According to her, the project will establish multi-service Tariro Centres in three main urban slums in Lagos (Ikota, Iba and Olowogbowo) increasing economic opportunities for girls (10-14 years) and women (15-65 years), and in partnership with Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), enable them to purchase basic life saving outpatient health care services.
Dare highlighted plans to provide support for women and children in the areas of entrepreneurship by providing grants and loans with as low as 1.5% interest rate, access to quality education for girls and other children on the Tariro programme and the opportunity for financial inclusion. Speaking on this, Kola Lasaki of Soft Alliance said that for financial inclusion and services, the company will deploy soft pay, one of its services which will take care of loan, agreement of loan and grants to women. Also Speaking, Bimbola Ogunkelu , Chairman of Chestrad Global stated that the well-being of girls, women and children is a collective responsibility as women are the pillars of socio-economic development of a nation.