NGO Empowers Bayelsa Women With Business Starter Packs

The Women Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme (WEEP) has distributed starter packs and business support packages to women beneficiaries in Opume community, Bayelsa State.

The initiative, implemented by Illuminating Minds and funded by Global Health System Solutions (GHSS), saw beneficiaries of the Vocational Education Training (VET) category receive starter packs, while Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) participants were supported with business expansion packages.

The ceremony, which drew community leaders, women groups, civil society organisations and well-wishers, marked a critical transition from training to enterprise take-off  a key phase of the empowerment programme.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Illuminating Minds, Dr. Itari Turner, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to make the most of the opportunity.

She explained that the programme is designed to equip women with sustainable skills and practical tools needed to establish and grow businesses that can support their families and contribute to community development.

The distribution followed months of intensive skills acquisition training in areas including shoemaking, catering, fashion design, hairdressing, computer operations, makeup and gele artistry, and snail farming.

Community stakeholders commended Illuminating Minds and GHSS for their sustained commitment to women’s economic empowerment, describing the initiative as a life-changing intervention capable of stimulating grassroots enterprise development and improving household livelihoods.

Some beneficiaries shared emotional testimonies of how the programme has transformed their lives. Apribo Adegi, an MSE beneficiary, expressed gratitude to the project team for the opportunity.

“I want to sincerely thank the Executive Director, Dr. Itari Turner, and everyone at Illuminating Minds who worked tirelessly to make this programme a success. WEEP has impacted my life positively and given me knowledge that will stay with me forever. I am deeply grateful,” she said.

For many beneficiaries, the starter packs symbolised more than business tools, they represented a new beginning. Emmanuel Odionin Unity, founder of KP Anchor, a shoemaking enterprise and one of the beneficiaries, described the support as life-changing.

“I am extremely grateful to WEEP for this opportunity. I am currently the only shoemaker in Bayelsa State with this industrial machine. The equipment I received is worth about ₦1.6 million. There is no way I could have afforded this on my own. This support has boosted my morale and determination to succeed,” she said.

The event concluded with the formal handover of business equipment, tools and financial support to beneficiaries. With this phase completed, the WEEP project has entered its closing stage, which includes monitoring and post-training business support to ensure effective utilisation of the starter packs.

Illuminating Minds and GHSS reaffirmed their commitment to advancing women’s entrepreneurship across the Niger Delta, stressing that empowering women remains critical to household stability, community resilience and long-term economic growth.