Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support APPEALS have supported one hundred persons with special needs to participate in Agri-business to become self-employed under women and youth projects in Kaduna State.
The Project Coordinator of APPEALS in Kaduna Dr. Yahaya Aminu stated this while briefing newsmen during an interactive session between the beneficiaries and the service providers in Kaduna.
Dr. Yahaya Aminu explained that under women and youth APPEALS project, one thousand, seven hundred people are expected to benefit, while one hundred allocations out of the number have been reserved for persons with special needs and each received support of more than one million Naira.
According to him, the beneficiaries are expected to participate in poultry, rice and maize processing and aquaculture and they were all trained in those aspects in Zaria.
He explained that APPEALS had supported them with business skills and plan, registration with Corporate Affairs Commission and also support them with the service providers.
Dr. Yahaya Aminu said APPEALS wants to see persons with special needs running a business, generating income and be employer of labour to also contribute to socio economic development of the state and the nation in general.
In a remark, the Deputy Director Kaduna State Disability Board Affairs, Mr. Hassan Suleiman commended APPEALS for an excellent project aim at improving the welfare particularly persons with special needs in Kaduna State.
He assured that the beneficiaries would fully utilized what they have learned during training to improve their income, get acceptance in the society and also be equal with anyone in their communities.
The Deputy Director explained that developing mental and physical capacity of persons with special needs would take them off the streets and to be among the employees of labour.
Also in their remarks, some of the beneficiaries, Mallam Haruna Abubakar and Rukayya Aliyu were optimistic that the objective of the project particularly on persons with special needs would be achieved.
Cov/Adamu Yusuf/Kaduna
