UNFPA Supports Victims of Gender-based Violence in Benue

George Okoh in Makurdi

The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) has train and supported 30 victims of Gender-based Violence (GBV) with start-up kits.

The training and support for the victims took place in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The start-up kits were for the production of liquid soap, wigs and reusable sanitary pads.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Tabitha Igirgi, admonished them to put the skills they acquired to use to enhance their income.

Igirgi stressed that if they put the skills they acquired to judicious use, they would reap the rich dividends of their enterprise within a few month.

Meanwhile, the UNFPA Focal Person in the state who is also an assistant director at the Benue State Planning Commission, Mr. Matthew Ge, admonished the beneficiaries not to despise their little beginning, pointing out that big businesses always start small.

Ge advised the trainees on quality production and product branding to make them more marketable.

Also, the Programme Manager of ESLF, Tine Agernor, explained that the trainees were carefully selected as GBV survivors from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.

Agernor pointed out that the training was targeted at economic empowerment of GBV survivors to help mitigate the incessant cases of GBV spiked by lack of alternative income sources in homes.

The programme manager added that the start-up packs would aid instant take off of their businesses.

Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the commission, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Stephen Gbagi,  appreciated UNFPA for sustaining the programme since 2007, and commended the state government for providing the critical counterpart funding that enabled the state have access to funding for such programmes.