The Golden Initiative for All (GIFA) has sustained its grassroots empowerment campaign under the "GIFA At Your Doorstep" programme, providing business grants and equipment to entrepreneurs across Uyo in a bid to strengthen small businesses and improve livelihoods.
The outreach, carried out on Tuesday, saw the GIFA team visit beneficiaries at their homes, business premises, and strategic locations across the Akwa Ibom State capital, delivering tailored support based on individual business needs.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, and Chairperson of the GIFA Board of Trustees, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, benefited traders, artisans, students, farmers, and street vendors.
Among the beneficiaries was Christiana Endurance, who received a hair dryer to enhance her hairdressing business. She described the intervention as timely and appreciated Lady Obareki and the GIFA team for supporting her enterprise.
A fashion designer, Victoria Mbakara, also received three mannequins to help showcase her designs after requesting a display mannequin. She expressed delight over the gesture, saying the support exceeded her expectations.
In a demonstration of its inclusive approach, GIFA extended support to two mobile plastic vendors from Ebonyi State who were randomly selected while working along Nwaniba and Aka Roads in Uyo.
Ifeanyi Chukwu, who was seen pushing his hand truck in search of customers, received a N50,000 business grant. Visibly emotional, he expressed gratitude to Lady Obareki and the GIFA team for what he described as an unexpected life-changing intervention.
Similarly, Ovie Aganwu was presented with N50,000 to strengthen his plastic trading business and thanked the organization for remembering him despite not being an indigene of Akwa Ibom State.
Observers noted that the inclusion of the two traders underscored GIFA's commitment to empowering entrepreneurs irrespective of ethnic or tribal background.
The empowerment exercise also reached students combining education with entrepreneurship.
A final-year student of English and Literary Studies, Esther Akpabio, who sells eggs to finance her education, had requested crates of eggs to expand her business. Instead, the GIFA team surprised her with a N100,000 cash grant. Overwhelmed by the gesture, she broke into tears while thanking Lady Obareki for believing in her dreams.
The team also visited the University of Uyo, where Maria Essien, a 300-level Accounting student and producer of packaged zobo drinks, received financial support to scale up her business.
Farmers equally benefited from the initiative as Ime Otong and Esther Okon each received 30 palm seedlings to expand their farming ventures.
Speaking after receiving the seedlings, Ime Otong described the support as a long-term investment that would continue to benefit future generations, while both beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the First Lady's office for promoting agricultural entrepreneurship.
The empowerment programme further supported Gift Noah with N100,000 to diversify into fabric sales alongside her tailoring business, while Theresa Udoekpo also received N100,000 to expand her fashion enterprise into fabric merchandising.
Another beneficiary, Enobong Bassey, a mobile ice cream vendor who was randomly selected during the outreach, received N50,000 to boost his business.
He commended Lady Helen Eno Obareki and Governor Umo Eno for what he described as a thoughtful intervention aimed at improving the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
The Office of the First Lady said the remaining beneficiaries under the current phase of the "GIFA At Your Doorstep" programme would be visited at a later date as the initiative continues to extend business support to more entrepreneurs across the state.
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