A non-governmental organization, Smile & Care Empowerment and Media Initiative for Charity has commenced skills acquisition and economic empowerment program to reduce the level of poverty in around the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
Hosting a cross-section of volunteers of the group in Abuja on Sunday, the founder of the group, Chinwe Udouwem-Owen said the vision to put in place such initiative was a divine inspiration.
Mrs Udouwem-Owen added that her zeal to help the needy and the downtrodden always preoccupied her mind.
“This is a vision I got many years ago at a moment I was passing through life challenges. My instinct told me that even in my difficult time, I can still love, care and put a smile on someone’s face.
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“Since that moment, my passion to care increased and it has become a dream I followed up with determination and persistence in actualizing,” she said.
Mrs Udouwem-Owen revealed that the feedback she got after a party she organized for the less privileged in 2012 opened her eyes to the level of poverty under which many children are raised.
“I was shocked that some of the children above ten years have never tasted as little as ice cream before. They were surprised at the level of coldness of what they say. The look on their faces clearly shows that they need a shoulder to lean on.
“This tells you what goes on around millions of other families across the country. I then told myself I cannot sit in the comfort of my home and watch this without offering a help,” she added.
The group she said has among other things put in place free empowerment programs such as soap making, Gele tying, catering services, trainings, workshops, sensitization to enable participants achieve self-reliance.
Mrs Udouwem-Owen expressed dissatisfaction that while poverty has continued to ravage millions of homes in Nigeria, the rich keep living in affluence with little or no care for the poor and destitute.
He stated the commitment of the group to reduce the number of people living in abject poverty in Abuja and beyond, calling on all those with modest means to come to the aid of the poor.
