Chinedum Treasure
Wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr (Mrs) Nonye Soludo on Saturday distributed 1,950 sewing and grinding machines, solar-powered school bags as well as Food Bank Packs to women, school children and other individuals in the state.
While sewing and grinding machines were given to 200 women to strengthen their livelihoods and economic independence, 250 students benefitted from solar school bags to support learning and inspire academic excellence.
A total of 1,500 persons benefited from the Food Bank Packs under the empowerment initiative.
Speaking during the distribution, Soludo said the gesture, in partnership with Fidelity Bank was not merely to distribute items or celebrate another social impact initiative, but to reaffirm her commitment to investing in their future.
She said, “Every woman supported, every child supported and every family assisted represents a step towards building a stronger, healthier and more prosperous Anambra State.
“It is this belief that brings us together today under this remarkable partnership between Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo and Fidelity Bank Plc.
“Today, through the Give Her Power Initiative, 100 women will receive sewing machines while another 100 women will receive grinding machines to strengthen their livelihoods and economic independence.
“Through the Lighting Young Minds Initiative, 250 schoolchildren will receive solar-powered school bags to support learning and inspire academic excellence.
“What makes today’s event even more significant is that it reflects the power of partnership and shared responsibility.
“Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo is a non-governmental movement founded on the conviction that healthy people build healthy communities, and healthy communities build prosperous societies.
While clarifying that her NGO had no government financial backing for its programmes and interventions, governor’s wife said its interventions were sustained through goodwill, strategic collaborations and the support of organizations and individuals who share its passion for improving lives.
“This is why partnerships such as the one we celebrate today are not only valuable but essential. They enable us to reach more people, expand our interventions and deliver meaningful solutions to the challenges facing our communities. Our dreams are big, but our resources are quite insufficient.
“Yet, the confidence that our partners place in us is built on the impact our programmes have continued to make across Anambra State.”
The governor’s wife further revealed distribution of over 350,000 sanitary pads in the last two years through the Healthy Living Pad Bank Programme, currently serves schoolgirls in the 350 schools where our Healthy Living School Clubs operate.
“This has helped thousands of girls manage their menstrual health with dignity, confidence and improved school attendance.
“Through the Healthy Living Seed Packs Programme, we have distributed more than 25,000 packs of free hybrid non-GMO seeds to households, schools and communities, reviving home gardening, encouraging organic food consumption, improving household nutrition and creating opportunities for small-scale agricultural enterprise.
“Our Nonye’s Healthy Living Pap Initiative has become one of the state’s most impactful nutrition interventions, with over 25,000 packs distributed through the 326 Primary Health Centres across Anambra State, contributing to a historical 57 percent reduction in Anambra’s malnutrition shortfall.
“Similarly, our Healthy Living Saturday Workouts, which now hold across all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, have inspired a growing movement of healthy living advocates who are championing fitness, wellness and preventive healthcare within their communities.
“These interventions continue to demonstrate that sustainable transformation becomes possible when people are equipped with the right knowledge, support and opportunities.
While lauding Fidelity Bank Plc for identifying with her vision and choosing to invest in the wellbeing of the people, Soludo urged the firm to continue identifying areas within her programmes where both could work together to achieve greater impact.
“This partnership demonstrates the important role that socially responsible organizations can play in advancing sustainable development and improving the quality of life of the people they serve.
“We are grateful for this support, for your confidence in our mission, and for your commitment to touching lives where it matters most. Indeed, you keep your word.
“Whether in women’s empowerment, agro support, education, nutrition, youth development, environmental sustainability or preventive healthcare, there remain countless opportunities to transform lives through strategic collaboration.
Describing the empowerment items as more than material support but tools of opportunity, symbols of hope and investments in their future, the governor’s wife urged them to make good use of them, to grow from them and to become ambassadors of positive change in your homes and communities.
“Together, through partnership, compassion and shared purpose, we can continue to build a healthier, stronger and more prosperous Anambra State and Nigeria,” she added.
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