The Healing Health Foundation, a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), has extended its empowerment mission to Seme, Republic of Benin, training no fewer than 300 women in skills acquisition to aid their financial independence.
The 3-day training, hosted by Evang. Francios Tossou, End-Time Soul Winners Ministry, aimed to empower the widows and vulnerable women with viable skills that will enable them sustain living despite the demise of their spouses.
Speaking, the Founder and President of the Foundation Rev. (Mrs) Sophy Mbanisi explained that women were trained on production of crafts and chemical household products ranging from liquid soap, detergents, fascinator, dettol, fabrics, stain remover to tie and dye, among others.
Mbanise said the training, categorised into morning and afternoon session also featured a crusade session usually helld in the evening within the three days.
She added that a free medical outreach was equally held during course of the training, saying that one of the sponsors – Gift Health Plus Lagos, provided materials for medical outreach, which included free reading glasses and two cartons of Pre & Post Maternal Vitamins for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers/ Women.
According to her, each participant of the training learnt two skills
“The Foundation has been embarking on the empowerment mission over the years; but this time we decided to take the mission outside Nigeria, basically to Seme, Republic of Benin.
“The idea was to train the women on lucrative, but not too capital-intensive business initiatives, through which they can grow financially.
“Over 300 widows, vulnerable women, young girls, and men registered and participated in the training and each of them learnt two skills.
“No doubt, the participants were excited to have taken part in the training, and before our departure from the venue,, most of them have already started to practice what they learnt, and displaying their products.
“Similarly, the Foundation also offered medical outreach involving free eye screenings, distribution of eye glasses, provision of prenatal and postnatal supplements to over 40 pregnant and nursing mothers, and held an impactful evening crusades that riched many lives with the message of hope,” Mbanisi said.
Mbanisi noted that the Foundation have devised a new impactful strategy through which it empowers the women going forward, as the former approach of cash gifts has discovered to be ineffective.
The President explained that the Foundation resolved to be empowering them with the start-up kits, through which they could grow in their learnt skills, stating a total of 12 women were equipped with start-up materials that would enable commence the trades and grow in it.
According to her, this was contrary to their initial practice of cash gifts, which has been observed to be ineffective over the past years.
“In recent times, the Foundation usually empower with cash gifts after the training. But, we have realised that the approach is ineffective considering the economic situation, as many beneficiaries often end up spending the money without utilising it for the targeted purpose.
“So, a total of 12 widows and vulnerable women, three from each of the four major skills taught were empowered with start-up kits to launch their trades.
“We thank God for the successful completion of our Skills Acquisition & Empowerment Mission in Seme. After two years in the pipeline, this vision has become a reality by God’s grace,” Mbanisi said.
She, however, identified funding as a major challenge, saying that the Foundation expended more than its budget, attributing it largely to the low value of the Nigeria currency.
