By Lizzy Okoji
Dr Sunday Ochoche, Executive Director, Victims Support Fund (VSF), says the Fund is scaling-up its livelihood and recovery programmes in the North East, in its continuous efforts to alleviate the plights of displaced persons.
Mrs Rotkatmwa Gofwen, Head of Communications, VSF made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.
The statement quoted Ochoche as saying that the scaling up activities in the insurgency affected states of the North East is in line with the VSF’s mandates to rebuild and recover the region.
He said this was particularly applicable to the worst hit states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
The executive director said that the VSF has commenced various activities aimed at increasing the economic empowerment programme for 5,000 women.
He said the programme was targeting the women who have previously benefited from its Women Economic Empowerment project (WEP).
He explained that this involved transiting the women through community self help projects to enable them handle bigger income generating ventures.
Ochoche said these women will transit from Savings and Loan Associations (SLA) to cooperative societies.
The executive director said that the VSF had also begun setting the tone with State–level implementing partners for the distribution of agricultural inputs for dry season farming.
Ochoche said that the agricultural inputs to be distributed to farmers include improved seeds, pesticides, fertiliser and livestock.
‘’Partners from Civil Societies Organisations (CSOs) working with key relevant Government agencies have also commenced community level entry activities.
“The activities are largely beneficiaries selection, biometric data capture and the formation of beneficiaries into suitable groups in preparation for the roll out of the SLA methodology.
“The rollout of this livelihood programme also includes capacity building for the CSOs that will train SLA group leaders,” Ochoche said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN )reports that n May, the VSF inaugurated 10 of its funded projects in Bama, Borno State, which gulped about N368 million. (NAN)
