NGO sets to empower Osun residents on skills development

By Owolabi Labode

A Non-governmental Organisation(NGO), Visioned Skills Development Centre on Friday organised a day seminar /workshop to kick start empowerment programme for thousands  of Osun residents on  various skills development. 

The programme,  which was conceived to be a bottom -up project  would make grants available to artisans and entrepreneurs in the range of N250,000 and N10,000000(Ten Million Naira) .

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation,  Apostle Israel Emeka, the grants  were made available by different donors in the developed world, through social exchange market, a faith-based organisation. 

He said the programme was part of the social safety net,  to eradicate poverty amongst the people and make the environment suitable and conducive for investment.

Emeka added that the grants would be monitored through different stages of monitoring arrangements,  comprising coordinators in different local governments. 

The CEO explained that the disbursement would be done through different registered micro-finance banks numbering about ten across the state. 

" It is a  financial assistance scheme whereby applicants receive  grants to establish or boost existing business venture. The term “Social Exchange Market” is both a programme and an organization. As an organization, it’s a charity NGO offering financial empowerment to grassroots in developing economies toward poverty eradication. 

"As a programme, it refers to a system where donors give free money to people to do business and then empower others by creating employment opportunities. In the process, by giving back to society, millions of jobs can be created in an economy", he said.