By Barth Ozah
With a focus on Sustainable Development Goals SDG, 1,2, and 8 which is aimed at alleviating extreme poverty, improve health and wellbeing, gender equality as well as infrastructural development, Chybee Entrepreneurship Foundation for Women, a Non-governmental organisation, has empowered 50 women with business support grant and sewing machines.
The founder, Lady Chinyere Chukwudi Zimako, disclosed this on occasion of the third edition of Chybee Business Support Grant presentation in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Zimako who is passionate about women empowerment, said the journey started last year with the empowerment of 10 women with the sum of N100,000 each, followed by another set in April this year, where 30 women were empowered with the same amount.
“This is our third edition of the Chybee Business Support Grant, where we empowered 50 people, but this time, we gave out 10 sewing machines to 10 beneficiaries and N100,000 each for 40 persons as a grant to support their businesses.
“Today’s event witnessed some of our beneficiaries displaying their fashion skills and exhibit their goods and products, hence we came up with the name, Chybee Fashion Exhibition And Business Support Grant. Our organization is a Non Governmental Organization that majors in empowering women and girls, as well as supporting those with viable buainess ideas.
According to the United Nations, the average women empowerment index (WEI) is 0.697, which means that women are empowered to achieve just 60% of their full potentials. Also, more than 60% of Nigerian women are living in extreme poverty, most of which are in the rural areas.
According to Zimako, “this is why we have decided to take the bull by the horn by empowering women to become financially stable and take care of their families. So far, we have empowered more than 90 women and girls withing a space of 10 months and the number is still counting.
“Our vision is to empower one million women and girls accross Africa, as well as fight poverty and hunger to a considerable level. As a registered global citizen hero, taking actions by impact and kindness and also trying to reduce extreme poverty in Africa, empowering women as enterpreneurs has always been my core vision.” Zimako stated.
A special guest at the event, Hon. Bridget Anyafulu, member representing Oshimili South state constituency, Delta State House of Assembly, applauded the founder, Chybee Foundation for doing a good job, stating that from inception God created man and woman to complement each other.
She encourage the women to make good use of the empowerment and to also use it to support their families even as she pleaded with the women to always promote peace at home by complementing their husbands.
“Whatever you have received today try to empower others because the poor also has right to be happy.” The lawmaker added.
On his part, one of the partners, Mr. Ryan Lavelle, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mpowa, pointed out that if the world will overcome the twin problems of environmental and social-economic challenges, the most vulnerable group must be empowered.
“It is the women who bears the greatest burden of lack of economic development, and suffer the worst abuses of a broken socio-political order. Their cries for justice, equal opportunity, and a level playing field, deeply impact my conscience, and resonate strongly with our founding mission.
“For this reason we are fighting together with Chybee Foundation for Women’s Empowerment, to make a fundamental shift by empowering one million women. As a technology business we will bring the immense power of decentralised finance, AI and Blockchain, to empower organisations like this one, who are changing the game for Africans.”
In a remark, a member, Board of Trustees of Chybee Foundation, Chief Magistrate, Teggy Okungbowa, commended lady Zimako for her passion in uplifting humanity saying, she has created a community to solve one of our major challenges which is the empowerment of the women.
“She is like the mother hen, what she is doing is in her DNA. We must commend her and support her to achieve her vision for humanity.” She reiterated.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to journalists, thanked lady Zimako for empowering them at this time where things are difficult in the country. They promised to justify the support by working harder in other to grow their businesses and contribute their quota in uplifting humanity.
The highlights of the event were awards presentation to some dignitaries, cheque and machine presentation to the beneficiaries, fashion and products exhibitions as well as goodwill messages.
God bless Chybee Foundation…
We are very very grateful 🙏