Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), in partnership with an NGO, The Skilled Women Initiative (TSWINI), has held an empowerment programme for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) women in Durumi camp, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The empowerment programme held Monday, with the theme "face masks for
IDPs by IDPs" had in attendance more than 100 IDPs, FCT residents, tailors, among others.
Addressing participants at the event, the Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed, commended the IDPs women "for showing resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic by putting their tailoring skills to use in protecting themselves, their communities and earning honest living by producing facemasks for sale".
He pleaded for the general public to patronage the IDPs by buying the facemasks produced by them; in order for the IDPs to earn a living through the production of facemasks, even as he said free facemasks will be distributed to other IDPs; in order to promote the #FacemasksforIDPsbyIDPs project.
He said: "With the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the world has had to change and resort to adopting unprecedented measures to stop and prevent the spread of the virus. While other stable communities can afford to make adequate provision for
the purchase of facemasks, our persons of concern of internal living within the
IDP camps and host communities might not be able to afford to purchase
facemasks and other protective measures.
"Without access to facemasks, the possible rate of infection is bound to be
high amongst inhabitants of the IDP community. To this end, as part of the Commission’s COVID-19 response strategy in camps and Host communities, the Commission, in partnership with the Skilled Women Initiative (TSWINI), instituted this project.
"The project is aimed at protecting IDPs from the COVID-19 pandemic, while
providing a sustainable means of livelihood for the IDP women involved in the production. This Initial phase of the project has provided 500 masks in 5 days.
He added: "However, to improve sustainability, create income and create awareness for the skills available at the camp, a buy-one-make-one concept is proposed, whereby the members of the general public can buy the masks produced by the women, and for every mask purchased, an IDP would get one free.
"Aside from ensuring sustainability, this concept will also increase the income generating capacities of the IDP women involved in the production and provide face masks for IDPs. The Commission intends to extend this partnership to produce hundreds of thousands of masks for IDPs (and other persons of concern such as refugees) by IDPs.
"I enjoin partners, relevant stakeholders and the general public to patronise
this project by purchasing the masks made by IDPs to contribute to their
economic empowerment and self sufficiency."
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