Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support, a state-run programme, has provided financial assistance to at least 1,700 farmers in Kaduna State, including those who are physically disabled.
Muhammad Bashir, the Kaduna State Chapter of APPEALS' communication officer, made this statement on Wednesday in the state capital following an interactive session with beneficiaries. He noted that the session's purpose was to assist the state's service providers in assisting the beneficiaries with the process.
According to APPEALS, the goal of the cash assistance was to give the recipients the freedom to work for themselves and the tools they needed to launch small, agriculture-related businesses. The project's officials also stated that they were determined to use the funds wisely.
Two of the representatives of persons with disabilities and also beneficiaries of the programme, Haruna Abubakar and Rukayya Aliyu, pledged to utilise what they have learned for the development of the agricultural sector.
They also commended Kaduna State Governor Nasir Elrufai and his administration for supporting persons with disabilities to become self-dependent in the state.
The persons with special needs were trained on business development services and were also assisted with the registration of their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of APPEALS, Dr Yahaya Aminu, explained that the 100 persons with disabilities were part of the 1700 beneficiaries being supported under the women and youth APPEALS project.
“It is in line with the social inclusion and social safeguard policy of Kaduna State Government to support them,” he said.
Also, the Deputy Director of Kaduna State Disability Board Affairs, Hassan Suleiman, said that the cash support will enable the PWDs to participate in agricultural businesses and would go a long way to make them stand on their own.
“Developing mental and physical capacity of PWDs would take them off the streets and make them among the employers of labour.
“I assure that the beneficiaries would fully utilise what they have learned during the training to improve their income, to get acceptance in the society and also be equal with anyone in their communities,” he added.