16th January, 2020
Gbenro Adesina
Beneficiaries of the conditional Cash Transfer scheme, popularly known as Household Uplifting programme, HUP, in Oyo State have lauded the efforts of the federal government for empowering rural women and banishing poverty at the grassroots through the programme.
The women called on the state and the federal government to sustain the scheme in order to widen the scope of financial freedom for the women and youths in the state and the nation in general.
The women made the assertions when visited by the contingency that went to monitor the progress of the scheme on Thursday at Abegunrin Village, Owode -Ipapo in Itesiwaju Local government, Oke-Ogun Zone of Oyo state.
The visiting team comprising the head of Oyo State Cash Transfer Unit, Mr Ezekiel Oladipo and officials of state government under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion were at Abegunrin village to meet a team of beneficiaries of the scheme that have used the proceeds made to set up rentals’ business as well as purchase of grinding machines for the purpose of grinding cassava, corn and yam flour.
“We are grateful to the federal government for bringing us succour through the Cash Transfer scheme. Through this programme, we have achieved what we never believed we can achieve as an individual. We wish this programme is sustained and extended so that those that have not benefited will also benefit and there will be a further reduction in the rate of poverty in our society. We have, to some extent benefited from this programme and we can be proud to say we have beaten poverty and overcome it”, said Mrs Shakirat Adepoju, the leader of the cooperative scheme.
Responding, Oladipo commended the cooperative groups for identifying the core needs of the community and channelling their project towards rental services and grinding businesses, urging them to put more efforts to expand their project for their household and community benefits so as to sustain their livelihood.
“I am highly impressed with their groups’ and individual projects, that with the stipend of N10,000 bimonthly transfer they received, they were able to manage their lives. The program was designed to reduce poverty and socio-economic vulnerabilities among poor households in the country and the target beneficiaries are expected to build resilience to withstand shocks, risk and improve human capital”, explained Oladipo.
Also, the Conditional Cash Transfer Coordinator, Itesiwaju local government, Mr Wasiu Oketunde appreciated the federal and state governments for the initiative and urged them to sustain the programme because it has lifted many households out of poverty.
“The conditional cash transfer programme should not die, we want it sustained because it has really helped a lot of rural women”, Oketunde emphasized.