Date 2019-10-01
Category Gist & Gossip
Barrister Sam Otobueze Foundation (BSOF), a non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) is to open an application portal to enable people living with disabilities with entrepreneurial ideas to compete.
Otoboeze told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja the idea was part of the foundation’s strategy of empowerment in rural communities.
He said the portal would open on Oct. 7 and close on Nov.7th.
“The idea is for the physically challenged who have great ideas to become entrepreneurs to compete and the best among them be selected.
“There will be prizes for the first three winners and all selected applicants will be engaged on a three- day training to help them on how to manage their small finances,” Otoboeze said.
He noted that the whole idea was to help empower people living with disability rural communities.
He said the foundation would look out for smart brains and train them on how best to use small money they to live better.
Otoboeze said that the primary objective of the foundation was to achieve total gainful empowerment among various categories of youth in rural communities.
He said the foundation started operation in 2010 in a small community called Ochima in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State with focus on helping the helpless.
He said that the foundation in partnership with some groups had touched lives through its charity based approach to helping widows, orphanages, physically challenged persons, among others.
Otoboeze said that over the years, it had built residential houses for 15 widows, given 500 scholarships for primary and secondary school and 200 for university education.
Otoboeze noted that over 150 physically challenged persons had been trained with some currently working in the community training others on how to make bags, clothes, shoes, among others.
“We have also sponsored a lot of people for sporting activities and one beneficiary, Nneka Otoboeze, has won three gold medals for Nigeria in an international athletic tournament,” he said.
Otoboeze said the five-year plan of the foundation was to train 6,000 youth, give 200 scholarships, help about 3,000 amputees and build a hostel to house some trained entrepreneurs in rural communities.
He said the idea was to reduce rural urban migration, reduce poverty and create jobs.
Also, Ms Agbo Joselyne, Team Leader, BSOF said the call for application was for persons living with disability within the age of 18 and 35 with various start up ideas to drive entrepreneurship.
“The call for application tagged Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship programme Inaugural award is to recognise young entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial people of strength (disabled) in different sectors of the economy.
“This programme will provide training and seed funding for the winners,’’ she said. (NAN)
