Ishiba Cooperative Spends N50m on Empowerment in 10 Months

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Ishiba Development and Empowerment Centre, a multi-purpose cooperative society, tuesday in Nsukka, Enugu State, declared that it has spent over N50 million in its empowerment programmes in the past 10 months.

The organisation also said apart from monetary empowerment, hundreds of persons from across the country have equally benefited from its other packages including skill acquisitions, agriculture, education, grants and healthcare delivery.

Founder of the organisation, Elizabeth Praise, who spoke at the organisation national convention in Nsukka, attended by coordinators and directors in the 36 state of the federation and Abuja, said in the past 13 years of Ishiba existence, several families had been empowered.

“The mission of Ishiba is to create a lasting solution to hunger, poverty and social injustice.
“Record from my office shows that the centre has spent over N50million to assist people especially widows and give empowerment to people via nonrefundable soft loans.

“We are here to take stock of what we have done and see how to move forward,” she said.
According to her, the over three million members of the organisation have been greatly empowered in different aspects of life, noting that since government alone could not solve all the problems facing the people, her NGO had come to the rescue.

“We teach them how they can earn a living on their own and even employ other people; we teach the word of God to our members to remove corruption from their heart; teach them about agriculture and health so they would live a healthy life.

“We teach people the need to eat natural food, vegetables as well as fruits to live healthy life,” she said.
The founder said Ishiba has an expanse of land measuring about 150 hectares where they planted corn, groundnut and cassava, while they planted banana and plantain in another 60 plots of land to help boost food in the country.
Speaking with journalists, a veteran journalist and a guest of the convention Mr. VinMartin llo said Ishiba is the type of NGO that the country needs because it’s home grown and homemade nature.

“Ishiba is a non-governmental organisation that drives it’s power and empowerment from ordinary people.

“Ishiba is in agriculture, going into phone manufacturing, teaches members and public about healthy life, it’s in cooperative as well as in micro-finance banking which shows the group means well for themselves and the country,” he added.