Citizens Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEDI), an NGO on Saturday inaugurated a programme to empower 40 women in Gbagalape Community, Nyanya, a suburb of the FCT.

Speaking at the inauguration of the programme, Mrs. Selina Enyioha, Executive Director of CHEDI, said that the initiative was geared towards alleviating the sufferings of women, children, the entire community and to enhance national economy.

Enyioha, who decried the level of poverty particularly in rural communities within the country, attributed the situation to poor attention by the three tiers of government.

She alleged governments had neglected the less privilege in the society in the area of health, empowerment, infrastructure development among others.

The CHEDI director explained that 20 of the women would be taught how to make household consumables like liquid soap, disinfectants among others while the other 20 would acquire skill in bead making.

She said the project was developed as a result of the need to connect with the less privilege in their host communities and which was one of the cardinal missions of the World Bank Group.

“This project will run for a period of three weeks in the community and our focus is on women and youth empowerment.

“Participants are drawn from all the tribes in the community because it comprises of the Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba among others.

“The three weeks will be devoted to skills acquisition for women, community food demonstration and HIV counseling and testing.

“One of the objectives of the project is women empowerment because we believe when you empower the women you empower the nation.

“If the woman has the knowledge she will take proper care of the children and make sure the entire family is fine,” she said.

Enyioha identified other parts of the organisation’s project to include distribution of hospital equipment like solar light, couches, delivery bed, furniture, trolleys, bed and mattresses to some Primary Healthcare Centres within FCT and Nasarawa states.

The executive director explained that the initiatives was specifically meant to address the plights of pregnant women, babies and the nurses in some hospitals who use touch lights and cell phones to take delivery due to lack of electricity.

Enyioha condemned the poor state of some health facilities in the country, stressing that lot of them lack couches for examining pregnant women, delivery bed among others for safe delivery.

She said that the lack of some of these basic facilities result in the high rate of maternal and child mortality.

“Another integral part of this project is its contribution to healthcare which will involve the purchase and distribution of hospital equipment.

“These equipment are six solar lightening points, two delivery beds, four examination couches, one office table and chair, two examination trolleys, two filing cabinets and one hospital bed with mattress and pillow.

“These will be distributed to some needy PHCs in Kwali, Gwagwalada, Bwari Area Councils and two PHCs in Nasarawa States,” Enyioha said. (NAN)

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