Less than one year of the establishment of her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), the wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano has trained a total of 273 women and men in different small scale businesses.
The breakdown of those trained are tailoring which has 26 persons, soap making – 41, hair dressing and beauty therapy – 62, bakery/confectionaries – 52 and community health workers – 92.
Giving hints of the empowerment programmes during the celebration of the One Year in Office of the administration her husband the governor at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka on March 17, this year, Chief (Mrs.) Obiano said the empowerment was part of the objectives for which CAFÉ was founded.
According to the wife of the governor, ‘My pet project CAFÉ not only trains but also provides assistance to the beneficiaries to set up their businesses and hopefully sustain themselves and assist in the upkeep of their families, as well as the growth and progress of Anambra by contributing to the revenue base. This initiative is borne out of my passion to empower and put smiles on the faces of the indigent and the less privileged and help them improve on productivity.”
Continuing Mrs. Obiano said: ‘’the 92 trainees in community health work would attend to pregnant women in the rural and hard to reach areas of the state, adding that they would be provided with motorbike equipped with carriages for mother and baby and telephone handsets in order for them to respond to emergencies.’’
She further stated, “This is part of what I am doing to assist the governor to improve the fortunes of the hardworking people of Anambra and to move the State forward.” Mrs. Obiano disclosed that CAFÉ activities are funded through donations from philanthropists and well-wishers, andspecifically appreciated the efforts of Prince Engr. Arthur Eze amongst others corporate bodies that had supported her pet project.
The beneficiaries were equally given items like Tailoring machines and clothing materials, Hair Dryers and hair wash basins, Gas cookers, Soap cutters, and the motorbikes, as well as undisclosed sum as start-up capital for the businesses.
Governor Obiano who accompanied his wife Ebelechukwu to unveil the empowerment items which were distributed to the beneficiary women, some men and indigent persons noted that his administration was leaving no stone unturned in its determination to equip the citizens with requisite skills for self-reliance and national development.
He said that, just recently, about 500 persons were trained at the Vocational and Technological Incubation Centre at Nnewi, while another 500 have been taken for training adding that after their training, another set would be listed for training.
The governor stated that about 250 men and women were presently undergoing two-month training at the College of Agriculture at Mgbakwu, Awka North Council Area adding that on completion, another group would be sent on similar training programme. He said those trained would serve as handy labour for the mechanized agricultural investments the government has attracted to the state.
