- They partner to empower women with a million naira in Owerri community
By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
To enable the rural poor women overcomes poverty, the McAthony Foundation in collaboration with Daughters of Owerri in Minnesota USA has decried the high and rising level of poverty in the country, leaving a negative lasting impact on children and women.
Statistics have it that the number of Nigerians living in poverty is 133 million out of a population of over 200 million.
Expressing worries over “the state of poverty in the country and its alarming effects that requires serious attention by the government at all levels., trustee of the Foundation, Mr Martins Osinachi- Nnanna, lamented during the official presentation of a cheque of one million naira to some indigent women in Owerri community to support their small scale businesses in Imo recently.
Osinachi-Nnanna painted a grim picture of not only poverty but its impact on children, women their health, education and nutrition. The majority of the poor in the nation are children, as 67.5% of children under the age of 18 are poor and 70.1% of children under 5 are poor.
” The organizations found out through the yearning of this woman who has tried every petty trade to ensure that their families have food on their tables daily. Explaining the approach designed to address and fight poverty in these areas as well as bridge the gap created by poverty.
“Moreso, it is equally their plan to ensure women in the community dutifully engaged themselves in petty trading and other businesses to protect and keep their children away from societal vices.
Osinachi-Nnanna stated that the level of poverty in Nigeria especially in local communities is alarming as most of them are so impoverished that the basic amenities such as electricity among other social development are lacking, coupled with the government’s inability to bridge the gap.
Efforts made at reaching out to the less-privileged in society, are usually truncated by unfriendly policies, enacted by the government to hinder the smooth operations of foundations to actualise their plans.
He pointed to unemployment and lack of basic infrastructure in rural communities that have kept the people in abject poverty and misery.
In addition, a representative of Owerri Daughters in Minnesota, Mrs. Eugenia Anah said they have been carrying out intervention programmes in Owerri municipality because both Organisations believe and understand the burden of rural women in communities and how they have to maintain the home, save their families faces to ensure ends meet.
“Governments should devote time and energy to addressing matters arising especially the poverty level, we need assurance as Nigerians. She said further that “the country is rich enough in human capital and natural resources to walk back the suffering of the people especially children and girls through prudent and efficient management of the resources.”
Anah called for interventions that focused on rural communities where most of the people affected by poverty reside.
She recommended the need to give a deeper meaning and understanding of the dimension of poverty to enable adequately tailored intervention by relevant stakeholders
In her words: We believe in the popular saying that teaching one to fish is better than giving them one. Our project focused on helping the selected underprivileged families to start, support, or train in a viable trade that can propel them out of poverty.
The foundation under the present leadership of Mrs Chi Ukaga was established “to cater for and promote the interests of her members, especially communal families in 2022, with an inauguration theme focused on the suffering and quest to help the underprivileged women and families in Owerri; the hometown of members – basically aimed at Empowering Underprivileged Women and Families.
Same with the McAnthony Foundation was registered in Nigeria in November 2021 with the aim to sponsor youths in vocational skills, and sports, cater for the welfare of the less privileged and motherless babies in society and to provide amenities in rural communities.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries of the fund, Mrs Peace Amadiegu expressed appreciation for the privilege of the fund and promised that they would utilize the amount judiciously, with a promise that by this time next year, the recipients would have something to show from the fund given to them.