Woman from HIV/AIDS: Ibadan Women Empowerment program with her new shop
Fridge being donated to shops for the HIV/AIDS: Ibadan Women Empowerment Program
Our recent trip to Ibadan was a monumental turning point in our Women’s Empowerment Program. Through our generous sponsors we have set up and opened four new shops for our HIV/AIDS Women Empowerment program.
This program originally started with Mrs. Bolanle Nkwocha, who has been successfully running her shop for over a year now and has made dramatic improvements in her life, her son’s life, and their health. Mrs Bola says, “The shop has helped me a lot. Before I had my shop, life was difficult, even to eat was difficult. Now I have money to buy all the food that I can eat. I am most thankful that I can support Favor, my son. He is healthy, in school, and has made great improvements.” (The first time we saw her son he was in a full body cast, and her family told her to abandon him as he would never make it.) “He is now in school, walking, and the family have accepted him again and my sister even took him to the village for a small holiday to see the relatives. I have my beauty and energy back.”
Mrs. Bola was voted to represent People Living with AIDS (PLWA). She has been attending seminars and conferences where she speaks about how to successfully live with HIV/AIDS. She encourages others with her story, sharing with them the things that have helped keep her positive and given her hope and a future to live for.
We officially opened and stocked four additional shops. These ladies will receive supervision and training as they learn the ins and outs of managing, accounting, stock-taking, and purchasing so that they can manage their shops properly. Two women hope to eventually expand by setting up a small hair salon adjacent to their shop, using the revenue from their shop. This will move them closer to self sustainability, which is the goal for each of the women who are part of this program.