A charitable organisation, Norgem Noilers, in collaboration with Norgem (Nig.) Limited has empowered some rural women in Imo State with poultry products to enable them start businesses and improve their livelihood.
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Mrs Norma Nworga a Philanthropic from Mbaise, while distributing the poultry products to the women at Isiala Central School Nnarambia Ahiara Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government area of the state, said the aim was to empower rural women and make them self reliant.
She said that there was the need to empower Nigerian women to be self sufficient and measure up financially to their contemporaries in other climes as well as cushion the effects of the current economic challenges.
She said the charitable programme, the third in the series and on a first come first serve basis, had no political undertune.
Nworga said the project would have 200 women collecting eight birds each, drugs and feeds with teachings on the best way to grow and manage the birds commercially and for better yield.
She said that the beneficiaries would be monitored to ensure the poultry products were utlised as expected.
The Norgem Noilers’ coordinator said that many testimonies abound of women who had improved their living condition through growing the birds, adding that the birds -Noiler Birds- were products of Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd.
“Noiler bird is a dual purpose breed of chicken developed in Nigeria by Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery. Noilers are suitable for rural communities and small holder farmers and can address the challenges of animal food insecurity.
“Ours is a charitable programme to solve financial challenges of the Imo rural women as Noiler production is very profitable,” she said.
Nworga said that another of such empowerment would hold by September in local governments in Mbaise after which the gesture would be extended to women in other local government areas of Imo.
Mrs Peace Opara, a representative of Amo Farms Sieberer Hatchery Ltd., the producers of Noiler Birds, described the birds as “rare breed (a combination of a higher commercial breed of bird and a local one) and a dual propose bird that gives both food and money.”
She enjoined the women to imbibe the teachings on the proper care and management of the birds for better yield.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some beneficiaries of the gesture commended the organisers for their generousity and desire to make the rural women self reliant.
They prayed that God will bless them so they could reach out to women in other local government areas.
Mrs Augustina Onyekwere from Umuofor Nnaramba in Ahiazu, on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to Norgem Noilers for the empowerment programme.
She said 200 of them recieved eight of the birds, feeds, drugs and T shirts and assured that they would grow the poultry business as expected.
Mrs Chizara Nworga and Mrs Dorothy Ogbankwa, both from Umuokirika Umuezeure in Ahiazu Mbiase and were former beneficiaries, said their chicken had grown into big birds ready to be sold, while some had started laying eggs.
They thanked the group for their benovelence, adding that the gesture had brought succour to majority of women in their locality.
NAN reports that over 2000 women, aside the beneficiaries, were on ground to see how they could benefit from the gesture.