FCTA Empowers Indigent PLWHA Groups In Abuja

By: Shaka Sunday, Dominic Idio & Blessing Umoru

To give a sense of belonging to indigent People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration has empowered selected members from different support groups in the FCT with various Income Generating Equipments.

Accordingly, this is aimed at advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Ibrahim Aminu, who made the distribution in Abuja,
through the HIV Unit of the Secretariat, said it is in consonance with Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu Administration.

Speaking at the occasion, the commended the FCT Minister and the Minister of State, Barr. Nyesom Wike, and Dr. Mariya Mahmud respectively, for displaying uncommon commitments towards the plight of the People Living with HIV/AIDS in the FCT
through the timely release of intervention funds to support activities and programmes for PLWHA in the Territory.

He said that the Secretariat through the unit has organized several training & skills acquisition programmes for the vulnerable indigent Persons Living With HIV/AIDS; Community Based Organizations and various Support Groups across the Territory; saying that at the end of the trainings, starter pack/equipments are given to them to jump start a more meaningful and purposeful driven life through income generation.

Aminu said, it may be difficult to eradicate the HIV virus in the Territory if empowerment of People Living with it are not given utmost priority.

He identified poverty as one of the factors that leads to risk-taking behaviours which may expose one to contracting the HIV virus and therefore, encouraged residents of FCT to go for the free HIV testing in the Administration’s hospitals to ascertain their status.

The Secretary said that those who tested positive must go to a counsellor for necessary advice so as to commence effective treatment through anti-retroviral drugs.

He called on other positive affected persons in the FCT to join any support group as a channel to get assistance from government; revealing that previous empowerment programmes organized by the Unit, have yielded the desired results.

His words: “I am glad to inform you that those empowered last month have been able to maximize profit from their starter packs to the level of empowering others, as some of them are here to share their success stories.

The Income Generating Equipments distributed at the occasion include motorized grinding machine, vulcanizing machines, and sewing machines.

Earlier the Head HIV/AIDS Unit, SDS, Dr. Ene Nwachinemere said the support of the Administration has made the programme a success.