How cash transfer fuels small businesses among Kebbi rural women
Hadiza Dantani is among 1,224 women that have made a living and protected her children future with the Cash Transfer Program of the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF).
She gets N8, 000 each for her four children per term under the programme to take care of her children’s needs as they attend school.
From the money she bought books, uniform and other needs for their education while she invested the remainder of the money in groundnut cake and oil business. She also engages in animal husbandry.
“I have something to take care of the expenses for their education now and in the near future. My children will continue with their education even when the grants stop,” she said.
Dantani from a Kwakware, Suru LGA of Kebbi State, one of the northern states that adopted the UNICEF Cash Transfer Programme (CTP), is assured of the education of her children. The cash grant is made to pupils between 6 and 11 years to help them complete their education.
The programme, aimed at smoothing household consumption through a regular and predictable income source, has helped to mitigate sudden economic shocks within the household, and allow a regular source of revenue for household investments.
About 1,224 women are beneficiaries of the programme in Kwakware, Suru LGA of the state where each child captured under the programme is paid N8, 000 per term for the provision of all the necessary materials needed for the child’s education. The women are meant to invest the remaining to alleviate poverty which has been identified as the root cause of out-of-school children in the state.
Another housewife, Hassana Aliyu has two children as beneficiaries of CTP. She received N16, 000 on behalf of her two children.
“I use part of the money to buy goats which I rear. I also bought a fairlyused fridge and started local ice cream business. One of the goats just delivered and we will keep taking care of them as they multiply to take care of my daughters’ senior school education,” she said.
She said the gains from small business also stopped their children from hawking to concentrate on their school assignments at home.
“We the mothers are no longer going to unnecessary visits too because we all have our small businesses we are growing,” she said.
She said in ensuring that her children complete their secondary education, she had been saving from the profits.
Saudatu Muhammed is engaged in fashion designing. As such with the grant she was able to set up her business.
“After providing the necessary material from the school I also started the business in food items aside from the tailoring work and life has been easier with us getting our own income,” she said
The Village Head, Hakimi Kwakware, Alhaji Aliyu Maiarewa said the grants had improved the enrolment and retention of pupils in school and also improved individual family lives.”
“Every morning, children are well dressed for school. You see them on the streets going to schools. They are happy with the money and that when they get back their parents will have food for them. We are grateful with the help and may God bless them,” he said.
Kebbi State Coordinator CTP, Isa A. Umar, said the cash grants helped the beneficiaries to pay for things that were essential for their schooling.
“On a global scale, cash transfers contribute to poverty reduction in the family and the community. In Nigeria and other developing countries, poverty is a critical barrier to the girl-child education,” he said.
Dr. Adedayo Ogundimu during a UNICEF workshop presentation on Child Rights Education in Nigeria held in Kebbi, said when mothers become financially empowered it positively impacts on the education, nutrition and health care of their children.