The Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled has empowered 350 women with disabilities in Kano State with startup kits and financial support under the SABI-WOMAN Project, implemented by Kanawa with support from UNICEF through Sightsavers.
The empowerment programme, held at the Sani Abacha Youth Centre, Kano, coincided with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and drew beneficiaries from across the state, underscoring the inclusive nature of the initiative.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Ibrahim Garba Madu, said the intervention marked a transition from capacity building to economic empowerment after six days of intensive business training facilitated by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
“We are proud to record a major milestone with the SABI-WOMAN Project. Having completed six days of intensive business education, we have moved to the phase of economic empowerment,” Madu said.
He explained that each beneficiary received startup kits valued at ₦120,000, logistics support of ₦10,000 and a cash grant of ₦104,526 to support their small and medium enterprises, adding that participants were also provided with daily meals throughout the programme.
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Madu noted that the foundation would continue to provide mentorship and business development support to ensure sustainability of the women’s enterprises, describing the initiative as a step towards dignity, inclusion and opportunity for persons with disabilities.
Also speaking, a member of the Kanawa Educational Board of Advisory, Nasir Yakubu Rishi, PhD, urged the beneficiaries to maximise the skills acquired and called on relevant stakeholders to support inclusive economic initiatives.
“The SABI-WOMAN Project is not charity but an investment in ability, dignity and economic inclusion. It shows that disability is not inability and that inclusive development can deliver sustainable results,” Rishi said.
Madu reaffirmed the commitment of the foundation to promoting inclusive economic growth by creating opportunities for women with disabilities to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the state at large.