The Rotary Club of Barnawa on Monday donated grinding machines to six widows in a bid to empower them and create source of income for them to cater for their needs and take care of their children.
The widows were chosen from around Barnawa based on their economic status as in the area, according to President of Rotary Club of Barnawa, Rotarian Kyuma Kennedy Yibin.
“The criteria we use is to pick the poorest of the poor, widows who are still energetic to work and have up to five young children to cater for.
“One of them her husband was killed by a motor vehicle last year leaving her with five children to feed. In choosing the beneficiaries we followed the saying that if you empower a woman you empower a nation. Whatever you gave to a woman translates to the community and the nation. A lot of the women pass through lots of challenges, so whatever we do help them cater for their children,” he said.
The District Governor, District 9125, Rotarian Ayoola Oyedokun said that the exercise was based on one of the focus of Rotary Club, economic and community development.
According to him, “We are here for women empowerment. One Rotary Club donated grinding machines to six widows in Barnawa community.
“We want to touch lives, to reach out to people who cannot fend for themselves, as we don’t want anybody to be left out. They have children and families to cater for and this empowerment would help them. They have to use the grinding machine judiciously, they have to do good to others by saving up and buying grinding machine for someone else and do free service for those not up to them.”
The Chiroman Zazzau and District Head of Makera Kakuri, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani commended Rotary Club of Barnawa for its effort in uplifting widows from the area. He urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunities availed them, while assuring that he has assigned ward heads to monitor the widows and see how they use the machines.
One of the widows, Mrs Jummai Musa, a mother of five, said she was so excited, noting that the grinding machine will be a lifesaver and source of living for her and her five children. She said she had to leave her previous work as nanny in a school after being owed her N10,000 salary for three months without any hope of receiving the money. She prayed God to bless and uplift the Rotarians.
