By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

NO fewer than 1050 women and youths involved in small scale businesses in Bayelsa State in the rural areas have been supported with a cash of N200, 000 each by the Bayelsa State government under the Bayelsa State Women and Youths Empowerment Programme, in a bid to boost the rural economy.

Presenting the cash to the beneficiaries in Yenagoa, yesterday, the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Empowerment and Secretary of the Bayelsa State Women and Youths Empowerment Programme, Mrs Eunice Akene said the essence of the empowerment programme is to support and encourage Bayelsans in the rural communities to grow their business.

According to Akene, the beneficiaries were selected from the 105 wards in the State, adding that the committee is empowered to go to the rural communities to select a man and a woman who are already involved in small businesses to be beneficiaries.

She noted that on the long run the programme is targeting empowering over 5000 persons in the state, pointing out that the scheme is designed to ensure that small businesses in Bayelsa are successful, adding that the committee intends to monitor beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the money given as well as make sure that those doing well in their various businesses are encouraged with more funds.

She said: “The essence of the gathering is for the empowerment of the women and youths of Bayelsa State by the Prosperity Government ably led by Senator Douye Diri. The whole idea is to empower our rural entreprenuers, to support their businesses and to help their businesses grow.

“It is continuous process that is targeting businesses to be viable and to be at par with other state in term of the way small business grow. You Know that Bayelsa is a civil service state but we want the state to be known as state where businesses thrive.

“By my records, we have empowered 1050 Bayelsans and our projection is that we targeting 5000 Bayelsans to be empowered a man and a woman chosen from the 105 wards in the State.

“The committee”s mandate is to go to the rural communities to look at those doing small businesses and empower them as the programme is for everybody in the State.”

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a food vendor from from Okolokuma-Opokuma LGA, Boebi Deiseidei, thanked Governor Diri for empowering them with N200 000, saying that the money will go a long way to boost their business as the profit from the sale will help to expand their businesses and take care of their families.