By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Foodies and Spice Nigeria Limited, in collaboration with House of Rammah Foundation, has presented cash, clothes and food items to 55 widows and indigent Nigerians, in Lagos State.
The essence of the cash donation is to improve the women’s business and make them self-reliant. Apart from the charitable deeds of the firm, they are also looking at issues that affect women, especially local/community women, in terms of economic justice and general welfare, and to see how the organisation can help them to cope, saying, “We want a favourable business environment for women and we empowered them in order to improve their standard of living.”
Managing director of the firm, Gina Ehikodi-Ojo, explained that the gesture was aimed at assisting vulnerable widows who find it hard to cater for themselves after losing their husbands, as well as women toiling day and night to eke a living.
Ehikodi-Ojo said the organisation started 10 years ago and they designed this measure of empowering women so they too could impact society in their own little way.
Futhermore, she noted that the aim was to encourage women above 40 years old to start a trade or business. “The most important thing for these women is to start a new turn in becoming financially independent.
“The disbursement of the cash grant to the beneficiaries was preceded by a series of training on financial management in order to equip the women with the basic skills required in running businesses at the grassroots level,” she said.
Ehikodi-Ojo stressed that, because many women in Nigeria do not have meaningful sources of income, they think their lives are over: “Outside Nigeria, women who are over 70 years are still doing business or starting new trades but, here, it is as if once a woman is over 40 years her life is over. We are here to say that age is not a barrier for new beginnings.
“Age is a privilege. So, if you are alive and healthy, you should be grateful and you need to come out and contribute your quarter economically to the country, that’s what the scheme is all about, to expose these women to new possibilities and that by the time they are given the cash, they are refined and ready to contribute to the society.”
Also, the executive director of the House of Rammah Foundation, Mrs. Risikat Adeola Adisa, said the initiative focused on providing cash for women in petty trade and equally build their businesses in order to help lift them out of poverty.
“Women empowerment and bridging the gap of opportunities are essential for achieving an inclusive and sustainable society positioned for economic growth,” she said.
Adisa noted that the beneficiaries of the programme were expected to use the cash not only to better their personal economic status but to contribute their quota to the economic development of the country.
She said the company/NGO remained focused on women empowerment because of its belief that women were pillars of society and communities, as reflected in their work.
“The goal of the just concluded event was to integrate underserved women into a growth trajectory that generates value for their families and society.”
According to her, for 10 years, the firm has been financially supporting the project, saying they hope to continue to hear inspiring stories from the various beneficiaries across the state.
Two beneficiaries from the event, who spoke on behalf of the women, stated that the programme changed the way they viewed life and business as they have moved on to establish tomatoes and charcoal businesses. This and more remain the success stories of the women who have benefited from the initiative.