The Initiative for the Upliftment of Disabled Persons (IFUDIP), in partnership with Hakara Care-Well Initiative, has empowered 100 women with disabilities across Calabar South, Calabar Municipality and Biase Local Government Areas of Cross River State under its SHE FARMS project.

The empowerment programme, which followed the project’s launch, focused on building agribusiness capacity among female beneficiaries through hands-on training and the distribution of farm inputs and tools to support immediate take-off.

Beneficiaries were trained in poultry, snail, cassava, cucumber, waterleaf, pumpkin and okra farming, and provided with starter packs including chicks, poultry feeds, drinkers, feeders, snails, cassava stems, watering cans and hoes.

Agribusiness sessions were facilitated by experts from Farming World, including Mr. Henry Etta and Dr. Ayi Nsa, who trained participants on improved crop production techniques aimed at boosting yield and income. 

Livestock training in poultry and snail farming was delivered by Dr. Nsa and Mr. Igwe Prince, combining classroom instruction with practical demonstrations on model farms.

In addition to agricultural skills, the project incorporated financial literacy training to support business growth and sustainability. 

One of the facilitators, Mr. Dominion Bassey, described financial literacy as “the knowledge and skills required to manage money effectively,” urging participants to apply the lessons to their agribusiness ventures.

To strengthen savings culture and access to finance, SHE FARMS established cooperatives for the beneficiaries and linked them to Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). 

Under the supervision of the project team, the women were grouped and equipped with savings boxes and basic tools to commence collective savings and investment.

As part of the empowerment, climate-smart tools and farm inputs such as seeds, seedlings, fertilisers, poultry feed and livestock were distributed. 

Women interested in poultry received chicks, while those opting for snail farming were supported with starter snails.

 The cooperatives were also provided with cassava grinding machines to enable garri processing and generate additional income for reinvestment.

The first phase of the project concluded with a community market fair for beneficiaries from Calabar Municipality and Calabar South, where community stakeholders and partner organisations purchased farm produce, providing the women with immediate income and helping them build customer networks.

SHE FARMS aims to promote inclusive economic participation by leveraging Cross River State’s agricultural potential while addressing the socio-economic exclusion faced by women with disabilities. 

The project team said the next phase will focus on market linkages and off-take agreements. The initiative is supported by the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society (FEF-OSC).