By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The International Fund for Agricultural Development, Value Chain Development programme on Wednesday announced empowerment of 23 Persons With Disabilities in Taraba.
Mr Irimiya Musa, the VCDP State Programme Coordinator, announced this in Jalingo at a learning visit, organised for the new members of the group in Jalingo.
According to him, three out of the 23 were supported with modules of rice and cassava and linked up to VCDP facilities to be buying and selling by December, 2023 and since then, they have grown the businesses to an enviable level.
“VCDP has supported so many famers, processors and marketers in rice and cassava value Chain over the years and the programme decided to also support people with special needs as part of social inclusion.
“We discovered that people with special needs are better than others in terms of managing business.
“VCDP just gave them little support and they are doing very well and that’s why we organised this learning in the shop of one of the first three we trained and supported so that those coming on board today will learn from her,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Altine James, the Rural Institutions, Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Officer of VCDP in the state noted that PWDs were empowered through VCDP Mini off-takers strategy in the value chain.
She explained that after a business training, they were giving seed money to begin to buy from the processors and sell at a profit in order to take them off the streets.
James said the 23 persons were drawn from Jalingo, Wukari, Karim-Lamido, Ardo-Kola, Takum, Bali, Donga, and Gassol Local Government Councils of the state where VCDP was intervening.
Hajiya Latifa Abubakar, one of the beneficiaries, whose shop at Mayogwai market in Jalingo was used for the learing visit said she had been begging on the streets before the VCDP team helped her out three months ago.
She noted that she started with measures of rice, garri and dry cassava chips in December, 2023 but today, she was selling almost everything and making much profit and was able to buy a handset for herself.
