International NGO, Sightsavers, in a strategic partnership with consumer products giant, Unilever-Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF) SHAKTI initiative, has provided business empowerment to 70 women and girls with disabilities in Lagos.
The empowerment includes business training and start-up packages of Unilever consumer products worth approximately 5 million Naira. Each beneficiary also received packages worth N60,000 to start a business or expand an existing one.
SHAKTI is a Unilever initiative, in collaboration with GBF, to train, tool and mentor women for independent entrepreneurship by selling Unilever products. Through Sightsavers’ support, the initiative is being extended to women and girls with disabilities for the first time through a strategic partnership.
The Sightsavers-Unilever-GBF partnership is an extension of Sightsavers’ “Strengthening Access to Business Education and Inclusion (SABI-Woman)” Initiative launched in May 2024. SABI-Woman targets women and girls with disabilities for enhanced economic empowerment and financial inclusion in a society where they are often marginalized.
Ms Anita Kevin, Sightsavers program officer for SABI-Woman’s ‘Girls Educational Skills Partnership’ (GESP) hinted the high rate of unemployment and marginalization of women with disabilities as the core motivation for the strategic partnership which saw the beneficiaries undergo a four-day training on running a business, digital marketing, customer relations and book keeping.
Ms Kevin, while addressing the women and girls with disabilities, reiterated Sightsavers’ commitment to help them stand on their feet.
“We planned to train 100 women with disabilities in Lagos, but having screened them we got 70 who are ready to access the business skills”. However, she assured that next year, the project will expand its reach to upwards of 300-500 women and girls with disabilities.
Under the arrangement, the beneficiaries are to remit start-up support worth N60000 Unilever consumables in weekly instalments of N3000 after 2 weeks of receiving the products, with options of restocking at company prices, doorstep delivery, and opportunity for distributorship rights for excellent performers.
Sightsavers made a huge investment to ensure sustainability of the partnership by engaging the services of Retail Sales Representatives (RSPs) of GBF who will guide and monitor the sales progress of the beneficiaries.
Ms Kevin said: “The RSPs will track and record the progress of beneficiaries’ businesses on a weekly basis, ensure they keep correct records and help with restocking when needed”.
Mr Ehis Goodluck, Unilever’s project manager for the partnership, while providing insights into the modus operandi of SHAKTI and taking questions from beneficiaries, highlighted Unilever’s non-discriminatory policy and readiness to help the women achieve entrepreneurial success. He cited the huge financial resources Sightsavers is committing into the project and charged the women to maximize the opportunity.
Project manager for GBF, Mr Jubril Yusuf also assured the women of the Foundation’s commitment to women empowerment and success of the partnership.
Included in the empowerment package for each beneficiary were popular Unilever consumable brands – Knorr seasonings, Close-up tooth paste, Blue seal vaseline, and Pepsodent toothpaste.
Leaders of two disability clusters were at the event, an executive of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, Mr. Adeola Aina and Chairperson, Albinism Association, Lagos, Mr. Tolani Ojuri. Both leaders charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the privilege. Ojuri, assuring the women of organizational support said:
The event which held on Friday, November 22, took place at NAB building, Jibowu, Lagos. A batch of 100 women and girls with disabilities in Kano had been empowered two days earlier, under same Sightsavers-Unilever-GBF partnership.