Foundation unveils plan to empower 2,500 people

As part of efforts to mitigate the hardship of people in Kogi State, a non-governmental organization, BAFA Foundation, has unveiled plans to empower over 2,500 people in Kogi State.

The organization which has continued to embark on aggressive empowerment programmes in less than one year, explained that the planned empowerment is in addition to the already established empowerment programme, where over 1,500 Kogites across the three senatorial districts benefited.

Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that artisans, traders, hairdressers, laundry operators, barbers, tailors and road side mechanics are major beneficiaries of BAFA programmes.

BAFA Foundation, an offshoot of the BAFA Multipurpose Corporative Society, was established with the sole aim of providing humanitarian support for the less privileged; capital support to petty business owners, interest free loans for entrepreneurs, medical intervention for critical cases and scholarships. 

Speaking on the development in Lokoja Tuesday May 21, the foundation representative, Mr. Sunday Abidoye said the overall essence of the projects was to touch lives that are hitherto unnoticed, but truly in need of help to have decent living.

He noted that the foundation had consistently provided social welfare intervention to assist poor masses, build a society that is free of starvation and frustration as well as to be a trailblazer in the collective agenda of banishing hunger and poverty out of Africa.

Abidoye stated that aside the foundation's head office in Lokoja, it has branches in Okene, Kabba, Idah, Anyigba and Ankpa, from where BAFA has been assisting entrepreneurs and business owners flourish in their respective line of business.

Abidoye noted that the unveiling of new BAFA project will further inform the general public the good philanthropic gesture of the organization and how the public could key into it.

"It is not wrong and no more news that our nation, Nigeria has been officially announced as the global headquarters of poverty. This revelation is not exactly made so that government can be insulted or castigated. It was revealed so that humanitarian concerns and philanthropic gesture could be made by those who have enough to those who have not. It is in the light of this that the BAFA FOUNDATION is assiduously working with like-minds to banish poverty out of Nigeria through the ‘TOUCH A LIFE INITIATIVE” programmes. BAFA in less one year of existence, has substantially and appreciably reached out to unimaginable number of market women, youths and artisans, which has made the programme outstanding and the foundation speedily growing. BAFA currently has over one thousand petty business owners that have secured various amounts of interest free loan and are doing great in their businesses.

The organization is currently finalizing arrangement with a pro-masses welfare advocacy organization with a deep knowledge of the area to facilitate the process of all empowerment related issues. Here in Kogi State, like what we have done in some other states of the Federation, we are out to give back hope to the hopeless. We are all aware of the current hardship in the State as many now find it difficult to feed families. With this new programme drafted by BAFA Foundation, there will be a course for many Kogites to smile again," he added.

Abidoye maintained that, BAFA foundation which has continued to issue an interest free loan to many Kogites was borne out of the passion of the founder for the well-being of the people.

However, in their various testimonies, some Kogites who have benefitted from BAFA Foundation lauded the organization for their philanthropic gesture. One of the beneficiaries, Kende Magaji, popularly called Mama Kulikuli, said before she obtained loan from BAFA foundation, her business was not doing well.

She pointed out that, since she got the loan from BAFA,  she no longer buy groundnut on credit, but now makes more profit than before, a development which she said has helped her to pay her children’s school fees without stress.

Similarly, Joy Isah a hairdresser, who lives in Adankolo community, Lokoja and a beneficiary of BAFA loan, explained that she is happy and ready to take more loan from BAFA because she enjoyed the first loan which has helped in the progress of her business. 

According to Joy Isah, "I was able purchase some hairdressing materials which I needed for my business instead of asking customers to go and get them before use".

Another beneficiary, Khadijat Ayuba, a food vendor in the central part of the state, while expressing delight to the foundation, said as one of the beneficiary of BAFA, she can now use her money to buy all the food stuffs she needed with cash rather than purchase them on credit and to pay back later.

One of the beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes of BAFA Foundation

×