…to train 100 on vocational skills
By Joke Adeniyi-Jackson
Towards eradicating poverty and complementing government effort at improving economic well-being of people, a Non Governmental Organisation, Oluwole Foundation has empowered no fewer than 350 people with over N50m in seven years.
The beneficiaries cut across artisans, traders, the unemployed, widows and less privileged.
In addition, the foundation has given scholarship to beneficiaries drawn from primary to tertiary level of education.
The Executive Secretary of the Foundation, Pastor Moses Ademola Popoola, disclosed these, on the sideline of the 7th edition of the empowerment programme of the foundation, held at the Cherumbim and Seraphim Church Movement District Headquarters, Ilorin, Kwara State on Sunday.
He said the scheme was aimed at reducing poverty in the society and creating real wealth by empowering unemployed persons to be self reliant.
“We believe that poverty and crime can be eradicated from our society by empowering unemployed people and those who are skilled and do not have the financial wherewithal to start up their own business,” he explained.
He said the mission of the foundation is to add value and improve the lives of the less privileged through the empowerment scheme to enable them to be self- reliant and to safeguard their means of livelihood .
He stated that for now only members of the church are beneficiaries of scheme, adding that plans are underway to capture non-members in the empowerment scheme through its outreach programme for non- Yoruba indigenes.
According to him, for this year the foundation expended the sum of N8m on the purchase of empowerment items for 55 beneficiaries.
He therefore urged the beneficiaries to make diligent and judicious use of the equipment for them to become employers of labour and contribute their quota to the economic development of the nation.
He disclosed that the foundation will also embark on vocational training for about 100 youths, noting that entrepreneurship training is the spring board for industrialisation.
Speaking to Pilot Business, a beneficiary, Mrs Ruth Abegunde, commended the foundation for the scheme, which she said would boost her economic well-being.
She urged wealthy individuals in the society to emulate gesture of the foundation in order to raise standard of living of the less privileged.
Items distributed included deep freezers, , computer sets and printer, photocopier machine, sewing machine and hair dressing kits, among others.
