The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu on Wednesday distributed assorted food items and clothings to persons living with disabilities in the Federal Capital Territory, as part of activities to mark this year’s Sallah.
Aliyu also used the occasion to reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to empower persons living with disabilities, and to ensure that they are not only self reliant but employers of labour.
The Minister stated this at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Abuja, while, revealing that the administration has commenced profiling of persons living with disabilities and training in various skills acquisition programmes in line with one of the core mandates of the Social Development Secretariat.
According to her; “As you can see, we are here with persons living with disabilities in the Federal Capital Territory. In the spirit of Sallah celebration, we are here to reach out to the less privileged in the society.
“We are profiling all of them to ensure that we capture them, and at the same time prepare them for empowerment. They are being trained in the acts of soap making, cream making, detergents, beads, shoes, bags, to ensure that they earn a living by themselves and by extension become employers of labour, not only will they become gainfully employed but they will be self employed.
“When this happens they will be off the streets, we want to take them off the streets systematically by engaging them, by making them appreciate themselves and realizing the value within them. We have discovered graduates among them, some are certificate holders”.
She further assured that upon graduation, the administration would secure a market and the enabling environment to market their goods to the benefiting communities.
Earlier, the Chairperson, Network of Disabled Women, Mrs. Lois Auta-Udokanta, thanked the minister for using the occasion to cushion the effect of post COVID-19 in the lives of persons with disabilities.
She said that , “This is very huge, and we are very proud of FCT Minister of State for this huge contribution in the lives of persons with disabilities. This will go a long way to cushion the effect of post COVID-19 in our lives.
“We are very grateful to her, we are very thankful to her, we are very proud of this gesture and we pray for greater opportunities for our honorable minister”.
Items distributed to 100 persons living with disabilities include 2 bags of 10kg rice each, one cartoon of condiment each, wrappers amongst others.
