PROSELL moves to break circle of rural poverty in Taraba
Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
As part of efforts aim at breaking the vicious circle of poverty among rural dwellers in Nigeria, PROSSEL project intervention, through OXFAM in Nigeria (OIN) in partnership with Development Exchange Centre (DEC) with support from European Union Support to Food Security and Resilience, trained stakeholders across six Local Government Areas of Taraba State.
In a three days intensive training on the various processes and methods of conducting an effective and reliable Saving and Loans Associations, the participants, drawned from Ardokola, Wukari, Gassol, Takum, Donga, Kurmi and Bali Local Government Areas were provided enough technical capacity on creating an easy and single access to financial institutions aside management and implementation of Village Savings and Loans Associations.
Briefing news men during the three days training, the Governance and influencing Coordinator of the Project, Mr Daniel M. Abah, noted that the participants at the program were expected to go to their various Local Government Areas and communities to replicate what they had acquired during the program.
He stated that Village Savings and Loans Associations program was one of the OXFAM’S approach to demonstrating how a resilient and sustainable livelihood could be built among the ruler dwellers as it boost the income of the individual members and the entire Association.
Mr Daniel disclosed that the impact the project had created so far, had already made some people rich as they had been able to collaborate and raise funds which enabled them to run some small scale businesses.
He stated that “this particular program is aimed at creating an avenue through which rural communities could easily and effectively access financial support from single and reliable financial institutions to radically improve their livelihoods.
“The participants here are drawn across six Local Government Areas and are expected to go back to their various communities and replicate what they are learning here. It is our hope that When they get back to their various communities, they would ensure that no one is left behind in the dreaded jaws of poverty in the rural communities in no distant time”. He added.
The influencing Coordinator further called on the government at all levels to earnestly key in to the project and assist the trainees who are going back to their various communities to enable them implement the project effectively, even as he called on the participants to shun procrastination and take proactive and frantic efforts to replicate the program in their rural communities as they acquired in the course of the program.
Meanwhile, some of the participants who interacted with journalists at the occasion said the program was a huge success and assured that they would definitely stepped it down to their various rural communities.
Mr Alexander Basali, the Director Administration and General Services, Wukari Local Government Area, testified that so many people from rural communities of the state had earlier benefited from the program in one way or the other.
He said some people had raised funds and build houses especially, those who were affected by one thing or the other and appealed to the governments to draw an actionable and reliable plan that would ensure sustainably of the program in the various rural community of the state.
Also speaking, one Mrs. Dauda of Takum Local Government Area, pledged that as they get back home, they would engaged people at the grassroots where they would create awareness and as well sensitized the people to enable them key in to the program to improve their standard of living.
Dauda noted that once they are able to build resilience in the rural people, they would remove them out of abject poverty.
