UNDP, Denmark, Anambra put smiles on faces of physically challenged people

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), governments of Denmark and its counterpart in Anambra State have partnered to remove over 20 physically challenged persons in Anambra from poverty level.
This collaborative effort was perfected recently at, Awka, Anambra State, where the beneficiaries of the poverty alleviation programme have already been formed into two co-operative society groups and were given certificates of recognition at a workshop organized by the donor agencies and the state government.
Addressing participants at the workshop tagged “Special target enterprises development and monitor on design and entrepreneuership for physically challenged co-operative societies in Anambra,” the team leader for inclusive growth, UNDP, Dr Robert Asogwa, who represented the Country Director of the agency, said that the collaboration aims to achieve sustainable welfare for the physically challenged.
“UNDP Nigeria, the Government of Denmark and the Anambra State Government are collaborating to support physically challenged persons in the state to create and manage small scale entreprenuers so as to provide permanent source of livelihoods for the beneficiaries. This support which is part of the ‘special target enterprises development and monitor initiative’ is facilitated with financial assistance from the Government of Denmark under the UNDP innovation facility,” Dr Asogwa said.
Some of the steps adopted, according to him, were vocational training and equipment support, registration of co-operative societies for two groups, design of an entreprenuerial monitor template for the two groups, among others.
Dr Asogwa said the first level base-line monitoring was expected to be conducted in December this year and would help the agencies to get information on the activities, challenges and aspirations of each entreprenuer.
He added that in every quarter, monitoring activities would be conducted with the help of the state government officials, consultants and executive members of the co-operative society.
Permanent Secretary from the office of the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Dr Daniel Ezeanwu, urged the physically challenged not to despair, drawing their attention to the fact that God had deposited special talents in every human being whether physically challenged or not.
He noted that the workshop was symbolic as it was aimed at bringing out the best from the physically challenged.
He reminded them that there is ability in disability, adding that it would pay off as they pooled their resources together using co-operative societies as their platform.
The UNDP partnership manager and special assistant, donor agencies, Nneka L. Onwudiwe, explained that the two groups of the physically challenged co-operative societies were those in footwear making and tailoring  which membership were drawn from seven local government areas of Anambra State.
She said the beneficiaries were re-trained in August this year according to the business group they chose to belong, adding that they were expected to record success move away from poverty.
The certificates were presented to them by the divisional co-operative officer, Awka South, Mr Chinyere Odoegbunam.
One of the members of the co-operative, Mary Chidi Muorah, representing Divine Love Physically Challenged Co-operative Society Limited, expressed gratitude to the donor agencies and the state government for remembering them in the schemen of things.
Mr Ikechukwu Nwokike also from Gods Will Co-operative Society Limited said on behalf of his fellow physically challenged that his heart was full of joy and promised that they would never fail the expectations of their benefactors.