A non-governmental organisation, Action Against Hunger, has empowered 40 women with oil extracting and rice milling machines in Birninkudu Local Government Area, Jigawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the donations is under the NGO’s “Working to Improve Nutrition In Northern Nigeria” (WINNN) programme.
Mr Othaniel Kighir, the State Field Officer of the NGO, while presenting the items to beneficiaries on Monday, said the gesture was part of the organisation’s intervention to empower women, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the state.
Khigir said the assistance was also to enable the women become self reliant.
“Our intervention is taking different direction.
“Before now, the emphasis was on children, but today, we are empowering mothers to enhance their livelihood, as well as enable them fend for themselves, ‘’ he said.
According to him, eight rice milling and two oil extracting machines were donated to the beneficiaries.
The field officer explained that the 40 women were divided into 10 groups of either rice milling or groundnut oil processing teams.
“The wisdom behind grouping the beneficiaries is to enable themof discuss the progress of their business and how to advance their enterprise.
“It is also to enable them manage the machines properly, keep proper record of their respective businesses, taking into consideration what they earned how to save, and how to maintain the machines to last,” he said.
Kighir said that 62 sacks of paddy rice and eight sacks of groundnut were also donated to the beneficiaries to enable them set up small scale businesses.
He further urged the beneficiaries to use the machines to promote food security in their respective households and communities.
Some of the beneficiaries, Nafisa Ishaq and Zulai Abubakar, commended the NGO for the gesture and promised to use the items judiciously.
