Foundation Provides Interest-free Loans, Skills To Empowers SMEs

The Rose of Sharon Foundation (ROSF) has provided interest free loans and vocational training skills to Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in the country.

This, he said, was to guarantee sustainable financial independence and alleviate their plights with lucrative business and source of income to ease socioeconomic integration.

The foundation, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP, said, since its inception, RoSF has directly impacted the lives of over 4,262 widows through vocational training, interest-free loans, residential/business accommodation, access to medical care, and educational scholarships to over 1,971 widows’ children and 322 orphans.

The nonprofit organisation stated that, its one of the few NGOs in the country that has provided widows with the level of assistance to have trained 79 widows in Hydrographic Water Transfer Printing in Lagos.

ROSF, which is the brain child of Apostle Folorunsho Alakija, is committed to empowering and uplifting widows in the country through its initiative, which it said, recently  trained a total of 79 widows including some of their children in hydrographic-water transfer printing.

The two-day training facilitated by Gold, Chrome and Hydrographic Ltd in conjunction with the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), taught the widows valuable hydrographic-water transfer printing techniques that can be used to transform discarded waste items and ordinary household objects into vibrant, resale-ready items.

Commenting on the development, country manager of ROSF, Dr Ndudi Bowei, said the hydrographic water transfer printing technique can be used on various materials, including plastic, glass, metal, fibre, wood, and others.

She, however, elaborated on the training’s benefits by stating that water transfer printing, also known as hydro-dipping, is becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world, and once properly harnessed, it has the potential to become a lucrative business opportunity for widows in the country.

“Items like flowerpots, furniture, phone cases, laptop cases, electrical wall switches, bikes, and even car parts are just a few of such items that can be redesigned, printed, and sold,” she said.

Speaking further on the Enterprise Development Training Programme (EDTP), Bowei hinted that, the programme was created to give widows a chance to learn lucrative business skills that will develop a source of income for them and their families.

Lead facilitator, B Sonnie disclosed that they were willing to offer even more support after the training period to all the Rose of Sharon Enterprise Development Programme participants, in terms of continuous training, mentorship and business support.