By Stanley Okehie
Women farmers in Imo State have been assured of support to scale up and boost their farming businesses.
The Imo State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Green Alternative Office, Mr. Peter Ogbonna, gave the assurance when the Executive Director of the non-governmental organization, Communal Care Centre, Mrs. Colette Bennett, led some staff members of the organization on an advocacy visit to his office in Owerri.
Mr. Ogbonna commended Communal Care Centre for its genuine commitment to supporting women in rural communities.
He assured the women of various agricultural interventions from the Federal Government, including financial support, and advised them to form cooperatives to facilitate access to support from the Ministry.
Earlier, the Executive Director of Communal Care Centre, Mrs. Colette Bennett, explained that the organization, which was founded 20 years ago, is implementing the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria (RWVL-N) Project, an initiative funded by ActionAid Nigeria with support from Global Affairs Canada, aimed at strengthening women’s capacities and amplifying their voices in their communities.
She solicited the partnership of the Ministry to ensure that the women benefit from agricultural interventions provided by the Federal Government.
Mrs. Bennett also disclosed plans to train the women in financial literacy, the Village Savings and Loan scheme, and value-chain development, initiatives aimed at empowering them economically and giving them a stronger voice in their communities.
She emphasized that an empowered woman will have the confidence and capacity to make her voice heard in her community.