Vulnerable Women Seek Financial Support From Kaduna State Govt.

Some vulnerable women, on Friday, asked the Kaduna State Government for financial support to enable them to establish small businesses for their daily livelihood.

The women made the request in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna, on the sideline of a one-day orientation on minimum preparedness on nutrition situation of vulnerable groups in the state.

The orientation training was organised by the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) and supported by Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN).

NAN reports that the vulnerable groups were drawn from Kaduna North, Igabi, and Chukun local government areas of the state.

One of the women, Maryama Bulus, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) due to banditry in Rimin Gbayi area of Buruku in Chukun Local Government Area, now residing in Gonin Gora in Kaduna, said she was battling with responsibilities of four children.

Bulus said she used to sell local dish called waina before she was displaced by banditry and now relied on assistance by neighbours.

She added that “sometimes I get laundry work to wash children’s clothes.

“I want government to assist me with some money so I can continue my waina business at where I am squatting with my children. I can start a new life and support my children if I get little help.”

Another woman, Maryam Habila, who was also displaced from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area and now reside at Kaduna North, said she had been doing household menial jobs to sustain her seven children and husband.

She added that “as a result of the displacement, I developed high blood pressure and battling with my health and how to fend for my self, seven child and husband; I want government to support me with capital so I can start a busines and live a healthier life.

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Another woman, Zarah Yusuf, an IDP from Maiduguri in Borno now residing at Rafin Guza, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, also said she needed financial assistance to continue her business of selling traditional incense.

She said that “the business kept me moving in Maiduguri, I am sure if I am supported with grant, the business will move because there is prospect of profit where I am living now.”

On her part, Zipora Shekodiza, 14, also an IDP who now resides at Chukun Local Government Area, said “I live with my aged grandmother, my uncles have so much responsibility that they can’t afford sending me to school.

“I want government to support us in anyway possible so that we can at least live a better life.”

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of KADSEMA, Mr Abubakar Hassan, said the major objective of the training was to acquaint the vulnerable groups with knowledge and understanding of nutrition and how to adequately prepare during emergencies to avoid malnutrition.

Hassan, represented by the Head of Disaster Risk Reduction, Malam Ussaini Abdullahi, identified the benefiting vulnerable groups as people living with HIV/AIDs, persons living with disabilities, and Internally Displaced Persons.

The SEMA boss explained that natural disasters and other man-made crises increased the risk of malnutrition, illness, and death among vulnerable groups.

He said that livelihoods and food crops were usually lost, food supplies interrupted, frequency of and severity of infectious diseases increased and feeding practices were threatened and possibly impeded.

“These lead to increased risk of acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups.

“It is, therefore, crucial to support the vulnerable groups, who are majorly affected by emergencies with the capacity to adequately prepare a nutrition response during emergencies.”

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The ANRiN Project Manager, Hauwau Usman, said that the support was in line with the organisation’s delivery of integrated basic package of nutrition and adolescent health services.

She explained that the project’s objective was to increase the utilisation of quality cost effective nutrition services.

Usman said that women, children, and other vulnerable groups constitute the largest victims during an emergency and stressed the need to sensitise them on how to prepare against malnutrition.

Malam Usman Bamballe, the Project Manager of Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP), commended the agency for the laudable initiative.

Bamballe, represented by Mr Seth Ibrahim, restated KADENAPS’s commitment to continue to collaborate with the agency in strengthening nutrition preparedness in emergency situations (NAN)

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