Looking Beyond Your Limitations (LOBEYL) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, at the weekend, empowered five petty traders in Ahia Ohuru (New Market), Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
LOBEYL is working on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)1, of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, which calls for an end to poverty in all manifestations, by 2030. The International poverty line is currently defined at $1.90 or below per person per day.
They are also working on SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
The Ahia Ohuru event was organised to mark the 2024 World Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8.
This year’s theme was, “Count her in: Accelerating gender equality, through economic empowerment’.
The beneficiaries namely Chioma Iheanacho, a fresh pepper seller, Amarachi Kingsley, tomatoes seller, Roseline Eke, Stockfish seller, Nkechi Friday, groundnut seller and Eziaha Ogechi, fresh tomatoes seller, were each gifted with a table, chair, big umbrella for shelter, apron and piggy box for savings.
Also, a soft drink seller, identified as Nkechi, who pitched her business idea at the event, got a cash gift of ₦10,000 from LOBEYL Foundation, to support her business, while other women in the market were provided with sun protection hats, aprons and piggy boxes to encourage them to save
Rachel Ijeoma Anyaso, manager, LOBEYL Foundation, explained that the organisation goes into communities to provide help for those in need.
According to her, “We look beyond the environmental factors to impact lives positively, financially, socially and health wise.
“Currently we are covering up SDG 1, and SDG 8. And we are using this event to celebrate market women, especially micro entrepreneurs to mark this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme “Inspiring Inclusion.
“So, we decided to bring this event here to celebrate with the market women, by so doing, we are inspiring Inclusion and some of the incentives we gave them are sustainable.
“These are things that can boost their businesses, like we talked about financial literacy, savings culture and provided them with piggy boxes to enable them save on their own.
“We also introduced them to Piggyvest account, consequently, we are bringing digitalisation into the market place. So, this event is sustainable and we are going to monitor the progress and take feedbacks and testimonials from the beneficiaries.”
Anyaso, who is also the creative director of LOBEYL Foundation, expressed excitement over the success of the event, and thanked David Agbai, the vissioneer and president of the Foundation, for his support to the project and volunteers for their roles and prayed God to keep sustaining the foundation.
She described the selection process that produced the beneficiaries, as fear, noting that volunteers were sent into the market to source for micro traders, who were in need of what they provided.
“We also went to see their goods and made sure that they didn’t have the items that we provided, like tables, chairs and shelter. So, our intention was to empower petty traders and help grow their businesses.
She however, advised market women to be at peace with their neighbours and collaborate more with others to boost their businesses.
In her words, “Collaboraton can take place in the open market place. And it can only work when you are at peace with your neighbours. If you don’t have an item, which your neighbour has, as a good neighbour, you can refer your customer to your neighbour that has the item without bias. When you lift people up, others will also lift you up’.
Aside from the market event, Anyaso said that LOBEYL Foundation has been involved in different charitable activities. For instance, in February, 2024, we took it to young people. We did a programme titled, “Talk and Discussions,” where we gathered young micro entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas and those with realisable business ideas were given start-up funds.
She continued,” Also to mark last (2023) year’s Children’s Day celebration, the Foundation cleared hospital bills of children held up in some hospitals, because their parents could not afford their hospital bills.”
She affirmed that the mission of LOBEYL Foundation is to empower people. “We come up with different sustainable initiatives and do follow ups to know the impact of such projects and the feedbacks we are getting are encouraging and we intend to do more to boost small businesses, especially women and youth entrepreneurs.”
Eke Roseline, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked LOBEYL Foundation for the kind gesture, noting that the items would boost their businesses.
According to her, “I am still surprised that we were selected as beneficiaries. It was tough for us to display our goods on the floor without table and shelter. May God bless those behind this foundation”.
Some of the highlights of the event, include health talk on nutrition, breast cancer prevention, anchored by Ozioma Aluka, a medical doctor; fitness, anchored by Chris, a fitness Coach, among others.
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