30 physically challenged women empowered in Abuja

About 30 physically challenged women have been empowered with leadership skills by the Step to the Top Leadership Centre in Abuja.

The centre’s chairman, Board of Directors, Ike Nwachukwu, urged the beneficiaries to look beyond their challenges and strive to make an impact in life.

“We want to encourage you regardless of what has handicapped you. God has created you to leave your marks on earth. Go with the mind-set that you can do what the able bodied people can do and even do it better,” he said.

The centre’s director, Dr Theresa Nwachukwu, said the beneficiaries would be attached to a mentor who will mentor them for one year to empower them with leadership qualities to impact their local communities.

She said the centre focused on three thematic areas - leadership development, mentorship and community service.

The Director Gender at the Social Development Services Secretariat, Mrs Hart Agnes, said government was ready to support the group and other physically challenged people in the territory.

“The project is a laudable one and it is about impacting on lives. I have never seen a programme so well packaged with real beneficiaries settled in local communities,” she said.

“You can see that the beneficiaries have the interest to acquire leadership skills and be able to influence their community. It is a very rich programme and I pray some other NGO will key into it and make impact also,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries, Joy Abdulrahman, commended the centre for the programme, saying it will help in making the community at large a better place.

The physically women were camped with their mentors at DRAAC, Lugbe for the three days the programme lasted.