Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Women in Rivers State are aiming for a daily production of over 10 tons of garri with the availability of a cassava processing factory in order to secure food security for the country.
This happened when more than 100 women in Rivers State’s Abua/Odual Local Council received training in mechanized garri processing so they could have stable sources of income.
Over 100 women were taught by the Voice for Empowerment Advancement Nurturing Initiative (VEANI), in a program supported by the British Council and the European Union.
Among the 70 women and 30 young girls who benefited from the empowerment initiative were school dropouts.
After the training, the women would be grouped in five groups of 20 each to form a cooperative society, according to Veronica Joseph, the Executive Director of VEANI, who spoke at the two-day event. She added that they would be connected to other markets.
According to Veronica, the program was created to give women in rural areas a reliable source of income so they could increase food production.
She expressed concern that rural women produce food for the nation’s consumption and stated that her goal was to help women realize their full potential so they may take advantage of their economic prospects by learning how to increase their productivity and maximize their revenue.
Women have amazing potential, but they need a little push, she remarked. We selected the rural ladies because they provide the agricultural products we use to feed the country.
