HOW I OVERCAME: Empowerment Programme Ended My Idleness – Hauwa

For years, 32-year-old Hauwa Yakubu depended entirely on her husband’s irregular earnings to feed her family in Bauchi State. There were days when she stayed indoors worrying about unpaid school fees and the uncertainty of the next meal. Today, however, she proudly earns income from tailoring after receiving vocational training and financial support from the Langa Women Development Initiative.

“I used to feel useless because I had nothing doing,” Hauwa said while attending the graduation ceremony of beneficiaries in Bauchi. “Now I can sew clothes for people and support my children. I no longer wait helplessly.”

Hauwa was among 50 women and girls empowered by the non-governmental organisation through skills acquisition and financial inclusion programmes aimed at reducing poverty and promoting self-reliance among vulnerable women.

The beneficiaries were trained in tailoring, soap making, knitting, makeup artistry and other vocational skills before receiving starter packs and financial support to begin small businesses.

Another beneficiary, Maryam Sani, said the intervention rescued her from years of idleness and dependence. According to her, unemployment had exposed many young women in communities to social vices and frustration.

“I learned how to make liquid soap and disinfectants,” she said. “People now come to buy from me. I feel confident because I can contribute something meaningful to my family.”

Speaking during the empowerment programme, the coordinator of the initiative said the organisation was determined to help women become economically independent and productive members of society.

She noted that empowering women with practical skills remains one of the most effective ways of tackling poverty, especially in rural communities where opportunities are limited.

Community leaders and residents who witnessed the graduation commended the initiative, describing it as timely amid rising economic hardship in the country.

For many of the women, the training represented more than learning a trade. It became a pathway to dignity, confidence and hope.

As sewing machines hummed and newly trained entrepreneurs displayed their products with excitement, the atmosphere reflected a common message — that with the right support, many unemployed women can transform hardship into opportunity.