About two hundred and fifty elderly persons in Anambra State have benefitted from the second edition of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Elder Support Scheme (RHIESS).
Tribune Online gathered that the event, which took place at Prof. Dora Akwuyili Women Development Centre, Awka, on Wednesday, is part of the programme arm of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) run by the wife of Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The beneficiaries, aged 65 and above, were selected from different parts of the state following strict health, age, and economic status criteria for those who are eligible for the programme.
The empowerment programme, which is ongoing in all 36 states of Nigeria, also has members of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) as beneficiaries.
They were given free medical checks, the sum of N200,000 each to take care of their personal upkeep, gallons of vegetable oil, and rolls of wrappers.
Presenting the gifts on behalf of the president’s wife, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, who read the Nigeria First Lady’s speech, said that the economic empowerment project was borne out of a steadfast commitment to the well-being of the elderly citizens and marks a significant stride in the collective pursuit of a more inclusive and compassionate society.
She noted that as the festive season draws closer, it has become important to emphasise the significance of prioritising the elderly in the initiative.
Two of the beneficiaries, Mrs Medina Ifeanyi from Ogbaru, Comrade Ebenezer Obakamma, and Mr Isaac Uche from Ihiala, thanked the president’s wife and Mrs Soludo for remembering the poor and described the gesture as the first in the history of the state.
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