By Hassan Zaggi
The International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH)- a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has concluded plans to train 30 women in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on how to turn waste to wealth.
The Executive Director of ISMPH, Chief Moji Makanjuola, disclosed this when she paid a courtesy visit to the Etsu of Kwali, Alhaji Shaban Audu Nizazo, in his palace, recently.
The beneficiaries of the training, she said, are going to be poor women who do not have strong means of livelihood in order to empower them so that they can be able to support their families.
The training, according to her, is targeted at fighting child malnutrition which is mostly triggered by poverty and ignorance.
Chief Moji argued that if women have strong means of livelihood, they can support their families, especially, provide nutritious food to their children.
“We were given the mandate to train only 30 women on how to make waste to wealth. What they can do as poor women so that they can also be able to augment the feeding at home.
“I then decided that I cannot do that with justification until I come to the palace because it is here that they can bring us poor women.
“We want to work with poor women. We don’t want to work with people who can feed themselves. We were given the mandate to train 30 women in Kwali and also 30 in Bwari Area Council,” she said.
The ISMPH Executive Director noted that: “Everywhere we go, we see waste around. These waste can be turned into wealth. Take for example, the nylon paper that is thrown around, next time I come I will show you what people are doing with nylon paper and it can be used.
“Instead of using firewood, we can now compress it to become our firewood. Women are selling it. We have tried it, it is working in Bauchi, people are doing it in Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa. It is not something that is so new, but it is new when you don’t know about it.
“We want to also teach them what they can give to their children to avoid malnutrition, we also want to emphasis to them that when you breastfeed exclusively, that does not need water. We have tried it, my daughters have also done it.”
Lamenting on the level of child malnutrition in the country, Chief Moji said: “When we look at malnutrition, it so much bothers on education, it borders on the know-how, it also borders on our mothers to know what to give their children. Some of them know but they cant afford it. Some of them don’t even know.
“You have a child that is 6 months and you are breastfeeding, instead of starting with pap, you start with hard food. That child’s stomach is not strong enough. This is what we have been doing for the past three and half years.”
Speaking, the Etsu Kwali, Alhaji Shaban Audu Nizazo, commended the ISMPH for the initiative and vowed his maximum support to the project for the benefit of the women of the area.
The Royal father, however, expressed sadness that many NGOs have visited the area in the past with promises to empower residents of the area, but could not fulfill them.
He, however, pleaded for more slots so that many women of the area can benefit from the empowerment training.
