Source: Daily Trust
The wife of the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Hauwa Philip Aduda, on Wednesday kick-started a special empowerment programme for rural women in the six area councils of the territory with startup capital given to women in some Abaji communities.

At the flag-off ceremony in Alu-Mamagi village in Abaji Area Council, the senator's wife also gave the local women 700 big size coolers, 150 industrial cooking pots, 4,000 wrappers and cash donations.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Aduda said her visit to the community was also to thank them for their support for her husband and his party during the past electioneering campaigns.

She said the empowerment is aimed at ensuring that women in rural communities are gainfully engaged in order to assist their families and reduce the rate of poverty in the society.

According to her, women must be empowered in view of their strategic position in the family and the society in particular.

"It has been my dream and that of Senator Aduda to see rural women in the FCT doing something that will generate income for them to be able to help their families," she said.

She urged the women to always support government programmes and be law abiding.

Mrs. Aduda said the empowerment programme is targeted at over 8,000 rural women in the first phase and will go round rural dwellers in all the six area councils of the territory.

One of the beneficiaries, Hajiya Maryam Jibrin Naharati, of Rimba/Ebagi ward of the council, said women in the area will remain grateful to Mrs. Aduda and her husband for the gesture.

She promise that the beneficiaries will use the items judiciously for the benefit of women folk in the area, adding that the period when women wait for their husbands to do everything for them is over.

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