The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project in Abia state on Tuesday began a 3-day training of incubatees and incubators on her project’s mainstreaming activities.
The mainstreaming activities kicked off at Uzoitem in Bende local government area of Abia state.
The event was well attended by beneficiaries (incubatees), trainers (Incubators). Among the said participants are the executives of the Commodity Apex Development Association (CADA).
Consultants on various fields were on ground to make impact through their lectures as they were seen exercising their area of expertise to the understanding of the participants which was exhibited skillfully and practically. The concentration, attentiveness and feedback observed on the part of the participants is expected to yield results.
Speaking to candidreporters.com about the training, Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu, PhD, the State Project Coordinator (SPC) of Abia LIFE-ND revealed that the training centered around Nutrition Mainstreaming, Climate change and Financial Inclusion is scheduled to hold in the three senatorial districts of Abia state, i.e Abia north, Abia central, and Abia south.
Dr Onyeizu hinted on the need for the training. He stated that the training will help to engaged and educate the participants more on the activities of LIFE-ND.
In his words: “We are going to engaged them more on project activities especially on our mainstreaming activities.”
Starting further on the importance of the training, Dr Onyeizu said the training was borne out of observations of the project, geared towards what the project wants to achieve.
In his words; “As a result of our experience with our stakeholders, they are not much aware of the importance of these specific areas we are mainstreaming, so this three days is a sort of sensitization exercise to help us educate our beneficiaries and stakeholders.”
As mapped out in the blueprint of the project’s program, Dr Onyeizu affirmed that the three senatorial zones of the state will benefit because the project have identified the experts and training venues for all the senatorial districts for prompt updates, strategies of the activities on how it will be applied in their various lifestyles, family and communities.
Chukwuekezie Godwin, the Agric Business Promotion Officer of Abia LIFE-ND while speaking with candidreporters.com also affirmed that the training is also a sensitization program to their beneficiaries.
“We are trying to put synergy in all our activities. We want to expose the incubatees to some activities in our components. We want to arouse their curiosity around their interest so that our incubatees will begin to see it as a way of life and cooperate it into their way of living.” Chukwuekezie said.
Bemigho Wategire, the environment and climate change officer, LIFE-ND port harcourt office who was part of the training team. She expressed satisfaction on the achievement from the kick-off of the training. She also spoke on the benefits of training the participants.
In her words; “These things are good to learn for them to improve on themselves, the environment and their businesses. Agriculture is good but we have to do it in a way to improve our environment for the next generation . We have taught them how to farm ethically and best agricultural practices.”
Nwosu chikezie festus, a beneficiary of the LIFE-ND project who participated in the training explained how he benefited from all the training sections. He said he now knows the importance of planting trees to protect the environment and proper dieting.
“Before now, I never knew that I wasn’t ensuring proper balancing of the food I eat. I now know what balance diet is all about. Now I realize that what I have been feeding on is not balance enough to give me healthy body. Today, I have known the requirements of a balance diet, from today I will begin to practice such food pyramid. I have also learnt how to plant fruit trees to benefit myself and to protect my environment. I have come to know why we have the climate change around the world today.” Nwosu said.
Ogbonnaya promise, another beneficiary of the training said she has seen the need of having a garden at home. She vowed to put what she has learnt into practice.
“From now on, I will be planting vegetables, orange fleshed sweet potato and other needed vegetables as I have just learnt. I know that when I practice all I have learnt, I will feed my family very well, and make lots of profit from sales of the garden produce.”
The training was very participatory as participants were given opportunity to make contributions and ask questions.
The LIFE-ND Project is being funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD). The project is ongoing in the nine Niger-Delta States.
Also involved in the project is the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Finance, budget and National Planning, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations.
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