Refugees commission inaugurates empowerment programme

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on Monday inaugurated an empowerment project tagged ‘face masks for IDPs by IDPs’.
Federal Commissioner in NCFRMI, Sen. Basheer Mohammed, said at the event which took place at the IDPs camp, Durumi, Abuja, that the programme was designed to empower internally displaced women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mohammed also said that the commission trained women at the camp on the production of protective items, including face masks.
He further said that aside from protecting the IDPs from COVID-19 pandemic, the programme was also meant to provide sustainable means of livelihood for the IDP women involved in the production.
He expressed delight that the initial phase of the project provided 500 face masks in five days.

According to him, with the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the world has had to change and resort to adopting unprecedented measures to stop and prevent the spread of the virus.
Mohammed said that although some communities could afford to purchase facemasks for their people, those in IDP camps and host communities might not afford facemasks and other protective devices.

He said that without access to face masks and other protective devices, the rate of the spread would be high among residents of the IDPs community.
“To this end, as part of the Commission’s COVID-19 response strategy in camps and host communities, the commission, in partnership with the Skilled Women Initiative (TSWINI), instituted this project.

“However, to improve sustainability, create income and awareness for the skills available at the camp, ‘a buy-one, make-one’ concept is proposed,” Mohammed said.
He said that the concept entailed that where members of the public bought the masks produced by the women, then for every mask purchased, an IDP would get one free.

The commissioner said that aside from ensuring sustainability, the concept would also boost the income generating capacity of the IDP women involved in the production and also provide face masks for IDPs.
He, however, commended the IDP women for their resilience in the face of the pandemic and showing commitment in utilising their tailoring skills to protect themselves and their communities.
“I will also like to commend the male IDPs for the moral support they provided the women with some even going further to support the process of mask making by cutting and arranging the fabrics,’’ he said.

Mohammed also said that the commission intended to extend the partnership to produce more masks for IDPs and other settlements.
He, therefore, urged partners, relevant stakeholders and the public to patronise the masks made by IDPs to contribute to their economic empowerment and self-sufficiency.
Earlier, Mrs Nma Onyechere, the Chairperson of TSWINI, said that over 50 IDP women had benefited from the project.