Rotary Distributes Starter Packs to Youths, Women in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Central District 1941, Rivers State, yesterday distributed starter pack to beneficiaries of its district grant-assisted project.

The beneficiaries, including youths and women, who were trained in fashion designing at professional tailoring institute, The Tailor’s Life Coach, were given brand new sewing machine each and other tailoring equipment to aid their job after graduation.

Speaking at the graduation and starter pack distribution ceremony held in Port Harcourt, Mr. Ali Akuetieme, president of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Central, explained that the gesture was part of the Rotary area of focus on economic empowerment.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Akuetieme said: “What we give might not make you wealthy, but it will help you to provide for yourself, sustain your family and possibly roll from there, and in the future, you could support someone. So, what we have done today is economic empowerment.”

The president, who explained that the project is done in batches, said: “We do economic empowerment in various field, but this year, we decided to train people on how to sew clothes and empower then with starter pack to stand firm in their career for a better future.”

On her part, former Assistant Governor of the humanitarian organisation, Ibimina Amachree, commended the tailoring institute for training the beneficiaries free of charge, stressing that the project is mainly for indigent persons in the society, who cannot afford good living conditions.

She said: “In the course of looking at projects we carry out in the club, we identified this organisation, The Tailor’s Life Coach (TTLC) initiative.”

Also, an Assistant Governor of Rotary International, Stanley Nsofar, who also spoke to the beneficiaries at the event, advised the beneficiaries that “as you have received today, you should look at it as a sign of your being able to give back to the society.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the TTLC, Boma Clifford George, and the beneficiaries have commended the Rotary Club for their humanitarian assistance to them and other persons in the society, who have also benefitted from the organisation economic and development projects.

George said: “Is a great partnership, and the first of its kind, so I am so grateful to Rotary for partnering us. They have done well. You can see that the beneficiaries are very excited.”