Global Peace Foundation (GPF) trained 40 women from diverse religious and ethic backgrounds in Kaninkon Chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State on business development, value addition, and financial literacy. Following the completion of their training, GPF provided each woman with N10, 000 (about 26 US dollars) as seed money to support them in their small businesses.
During the training in Ungwan Fari Kaninkon, the Country Director of the Foundation, Rev. John Hayab, said the initiative was meant to promote peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims through economic engagement. According to Hayad, “Findings show that you can easily unite people economically. When you go to the market, people don’t fight; they are busy buying and selling.” Essentially through this initiative, GPF is promoting peace in these areas by uplifting women’s progression in economic engagement.
The following is an excerpt from nnn.com from the article Foundation trains 40 women on financial literacy in Southern Kaduna:
Hayab said that the foundation was founded on the premise that all human beings were members of ‘One Family under God’ hence, the need to love one another.
“We have had two years of active engagement in this community building peace and we can see now that there is understanding and calm.
“One lesson we learnt was that people are not together sometimes because there is nothing that binds them, and one thing that brings people together is economic engagement.
“Our findings have shown that they do not need much money to start businesses like frying of bean cake, selling of groundnut, yams, and the rest,” he said.
Read more at nnn.com.ng
The women trained in this initiative were told by the Northern Coordinator of the NGO, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, to put the resources they were given to them to good use to achieve the peace-based objective of the training. They were also encouraged by the traditional ruler of Kannikon Chiefdom to learn to work with the little they were given to start their businesses.
The following is an excerpt from Vanguard NGR’s article called Foundation empowers Kaduna women with resources for business:
The traditional ruler of Kannikon Chiefdom, the Tum Nikyob, Tanko Tete, called on the women not to despise the little given them but work to multiply it.
The monarch said, “big things always start small.” He commended the foundation for its continuous efforts towards peacebuilding and sustenance in his domain and its environs.
The beneficiaries thanked the foundation for deeming it fit to equip them with the requisite knowledge, skills, and funds to start and grow their businesses.
They called on other well-meaning individuals and organizations to emulate Global Peace Foundation and support the poor.
Read more about this at Vanguard NGR