Chevelyns Care Foundation Set To Build Vocational/technical Schools For The Widows In Enugu State.
Chevelyns Care Foundation-The Netherlands, a non-Governmental organization based in The Netherlands organized a one-day Seminar/Launching on Women Empowerment with the Theme: “Widows Sustainability and Transformation” aimed at ameliorating the suffering of widows by focusing on such other alternatives like skill acquisition that has the potential of empowering Widow for poverty alleviation and self-sustainability.
The event which took place on Friday, 9thMarch, 2018 at Hard Breaks Hotels, New Haven Enugu was aimed at empowering widows in Nigeria by building Vocational Institutes in all the states of the federation where Widows will learn different Technical/Vocational skills to be able to sustain themselves, take care of their children and contribute meaningfully to their Community. The purpose is to create self-employment for the Widows as well as building a stronger economy, and achieving internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability.
The Pilot Plant estimated at 200million Naira, will be built in Enugu State. The Centre is intended to house Technology Incubation Units for Women Entrepreneurs, Administrative Blocks, Skill Acquisition Center, Adult Education blocks, library, laboratory, hostels, and a multipurpose hall/event center. The idea is that the center should be able to generate some revenue for its maintenance. The Widows were categorized according to their fields of interest. Farming, petty trading and those that will be involved in the skill acquisition training. The widows who are interested in farming will be given land, fertilizer, and modern farming equipment to farm, the petty traders will be offered low interest loan to start while those that are engaged in skill acquisition training will be offered starter packs upon completion of their program. The younger Widows were offered the opportunity to complete their Education on Scholarships.
Chevelyns Care Foundation, at the event, shared a lot of gift items ranging from wrappers, bags of rice, cartoons of vegetable oil etc, to more than 150 Widows picked randomly from 10 out of the 17 Local Government Areas in Enugu State. The Local Government Areas include, Awgu, Udenu, Ezeagu, Aninri, Orji River, Enugu- South, Enugu- North, Nkanu- West, Nkanu- East and Udi Local Government Area.
The Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, represented by his Special Adviser on Diaspora Matters, Mrs. Olangwa Ezekwu, thanked the CEO of Chevelyns Care Foundation-The Netherlands, Chief Lady Evelyn Azih who is also the President of Nigerian National Association-The Netherlands(NNA-NL) for coming up with such a laudable Project and pledged their full support. She expressed her gratitude in seeing that a Nigerian in the Diaspora found it worthwhile to remember to empower the poor Widows in Enugu State.
The CEO of Chevelyns Care Foundation-The Netherlands, Chief Lady Evelyn Azih, in her speech, promised to help the Widows remove the unnecessary stigma attached to them and encourage them to become the best in their chosen fields. According to her, women are nation builders and should be given all the necessary support they need to easily identify and tap into available opportunities around them. She called on the Government and other well- meaning Nigerians to support the project for job creation and to attain a more peaceful Society and a stable economy in Nigeria.