Shell Presents N6m To 30 PLWDs In A’Ibom

The Shell Petroleum
Development Company (SPDC) has presented N6 million and starter packs worth several millions of naira to 30 persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) in Akwa Ibom State.
The SPDC Government and Community Relations Manager, Mr Fufeyin Funkakpo, made the presentation in Uyo at the end of the 2014 Shell Live Wire Training Programme, on Thursday.
The programme tagged, “Live Wire Business Enterprise and Skills Training for Persons Living with Disabilities’’, was sponsored by SPDC in partnership with the Akwa Ibom Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
Funkakpo said that the programme was designed to encourage young people from ages 18 to 35 to own businesses and become self-employed.
He said the 30 disabled persons selected for the training and empowerment were made up of 10 blind persons, 10 deaf and dumb and 10 physically-challenged.
“This is the first time that the programme is focusing on persons with disabilities and we deeply appreciate everyone, who has contributed to this unique programme.
“This programme began in 2003 with the goal of building young people’s capacity for business through access to entrepreneurship training and business development,’’ Funkakpo said.
He said that so far Live Wire programme had trained 5,000 Niger Delta youths in enterprise development and more than 2, 700 of them had been assisted to set up businesses.
In her speech, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Glory Edet, thanked SPDC for partnering with the state government in assisting the less- privileged.
Edet said the gesture had gone a long way in reducing poverty because the beneficiaries would no longer depend on people for their survival.
“I thank God today because he has different ways of putting smile on the faces of people,’’ he said.
She advised the beneficiaries of the programme to make good use of the opportunity to improve their lots and that they should not be tempted to squander the grants given to them.
Each of the 30 beneficiaries received N200, 000 cash in addition to starter packs for his or her business and the starter packs include generators, hairdressing equipment, clippers, sewing machines with their accessories, shoemaking machines and their accessories and five wheelchairs.