By Angela Atabo
A faith-based group, Amani Muslim Women Empowerment Initiative, has awarded grants to some women entrepreneurs to boost small-scale businesses.
The Coordinator of the initiative, Hajiya Hadrat Omipidan, in her remarks at the Grant Award Ceremony on Saturday in Abuja, said that the support was part of the group’s major project for the year.
Omipidan disclosed that N250, 000 was given to each of the beneficiaries to upscale their businesses and help them stabilise against current economic challenges.
She explained that the women were carefully selected for the grant based on their dedication and hard work in the group.
According to her, the goal of the initiative is to promote self and collective developments and improve the well-being of women through empowering engagements, schemes and programmes that are in tandem with the tenets of Islam.
She said the gesture would enable more women to build momentum and connections that would foster sustainable social and economic developments.
“We started the Armani Muslim Women Empowerment Initiative, five years ago; it is about giving back to society.
“We have done a lot of projects in the past; we have gone to correctional centres; we have gone to hospitals; in fact, last month, we did another hospital charity.
“So, that is part of our own way of giving to the society; today, we are giving grants to some of our members, because we believe charity begins at home.
“We get these moneys from our sponsors and from our members; there is nothing we get from government; it is by our personal savings, and from our sponsors.’’
Omipidan commended the sponsors for their support over the years.
“May God continue to bless them and grant them their wishes.’’
She implored governments at all tiers to help women stabilise economically.
“I am sure if our First Lady can help us with grants like this, we will be able to do more for our society.
“We have been doing so many charity outreaches; during Ramadan, we fed no fewer than 300 widows; we gave out cash and food stuff; however, this is the first time we are giving our members grants to empower them,” she said.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the group and to God for the privilege to be picked.
A caterer and a beneficiary, Sherifat Akanmbi, who is into cooking, baking and rentals of cooking utensils, thanked the group for its foresight and generosity.
“I call on every well-meaning Nigerian who can afford to do something similar to what AMANI did today to please try and give back to the society because the economy is not really smiling for everyone,” she said.
Kafayat Hassan, also a beneficiary, expressed her happiness.
“This money will go a long way in my business; so, I feel happy and I advised other women to join AMANI,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Yinusa Ishola and Chijioke Okoronkwo
Published by
