How Kogi gov’s wife impacts on women, children

The wife of Kogi State governor, Mrs Rashida Bello, has embarked on projects aimed at improving the lives of the less privileged women, children and youth in the state through her pet project, Kogi Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (KOWYEF). Mrs Bello launched the KOWYEF project on March 12, 2016 with the objective of training […]

The wife of Kogi State governor, Mrs Rashida Bello, has embarked on projects aimed at improving the lives of the less privileged women, children and youth in the state through her pet project, Kogi Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (KOWYEF).
Mrs Bello launched the KOWYEF project on March 12, 2016 with the objective of training and empowering less privileged women, youth and children across the state.
Her first project was the training and empowerment of 42 less privileged women drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state. A total of 42 women was trained in hair dressing and fashion/design, empowered with sewing machines, hair dryers and given a capital of N100,000 each to enable them start their businesses.
Addressing the beneficiaries in Lokoja, Mrs Bello said the gesture was to enable the beneficiaries to be self-reliant and contribute to the wellbeing of their families.
She, however, cautioned the beneficiaries against reckless spending, adding that they should concentrate on saving to expand their businesses so that they become employers of labour through their commitment and devotion to their work.
The Chief of Staff to the state governor, Mr Edward Onoja, said the gesture was in line with Governor Yahaya Bello’s vision of transforming the state by creating empowerment opportunities for the downtrodden.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Agnes Komolafe described the gesture as a challenge to all the beneficiaries. She assured that they would judiciously utilise the opportunity to better their lives and that of their families.
Not long after the empowerment of 42 women, Mrs Bello embarked on the renovation of three primary healthcare centres in the three senatorial districts of the state, equipped them and stocked them with medicines.
The health centre projects were carried out in Ochaja-Emonyokwu Ogugu in Olamaboro LGA; Agassa in Okene LGA and Ekirinade in Ijumu LGA of the state.
Mrs Bello said the projects were executed through her pet scheme, the Kogi Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (KOWYEF) with the goal of reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates in the state.
While assuring that the Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration was committed to the health and general wellbeing of the people, Mrs Bello urged the benefitting communities to make good use of the health facilities.
The wife of the Olamoboro council chairman, Mrs Laraba Audu, in her response commended the kind gesture and appealed to the state government to assist in providing more doctors, pharmacists and other health personnel to handle their health centres.
Our correspondent reports that the governor’s wife also donated exercise books to pupils in some primary schools in the three local government areas where the health projects were executed.
The latest project embarked upon by the Kogi first lady was the donation of delivery items to pregnant women attending antenatal care at the General Hospital, Okene and other hospitals in Lokoja.
Mrs Bello, who carried out the project as part of activities to mark her birthday, also visited the Ideal Orphanagehome and the Darul-Arqam Widows and Orphanage home where she donated items.
She told the women at Okene General Hospital, that she was concerned about the welfare of children and women, hence she had to intervene in her little way. She explained that the gift of delivery beds for women in labour was one way of making sure that the mother and child are protected at birth.
She further said that KOWYEF would make suggestions and contribute to ensuring that such beds became the minimum standard for most centres in the state.
Mrs Bello, who hinted that the programme would be sustained throughout her husband’s administration, said she would not relent in her effort to better the lives of women and youth especially those at the rural areas across the state.