Blessing selling akara to a customer
As early as 6.am from Monday to Saturday, Blessing Madubuezecan be seen by the roadside right in front of her one bedroom apartment in Amede village, frying akara to sell to people. Blessing is caregiver abandoned by her husband with five vulnerable children (VC) enrolled by WEWE- LOPIN 2 project along other 4075 VCs in Mgbakwu community, Awka North LGA, Anambra State. Ms Blessing was unable to provide for children but with USAID-funded LOPIN 2 project intervened and she is now able to support her family.
Life was very difficult surviving with five children without her husband’s support, but Blessing took a resilient approach towards her circumstance and became a manual laborer to survive. She did all kinds of menial jobs, from concrete laborer to selling beach sand and cooked groundnut and Moi-Moi (steamed bean pudding) to feed her children. Blessing’s weekly earning was less ₦700 (seven hundred naira) about USD2.25 but this was not enough to sustainably feed her children not to mention supporting their education. However, before she would lose hope, Hope Givers Civil Society Organization (HOGCSO), a community-based organization supported by WEWE USAID-funded LOPIN 2 project enrolled Blessing’s household into LOPIN-2 program.
In early 2016, USAID-funded LOPIN-2 project supported Blessing with a 25kg bag of beans to help sustain her Moi-Moi business. She also received training in business and financial management skills which she is using to diversify and expand her business. Blessing now fries and sells akara (bean cake), yam and pap (a custard level meal made out of corn consumed by children and adult) to passersby in front of her one bedroom apartment and her income has significantly increased, she now makes ₦36,000 (thirty six thousand naira) about USD116.13 monthly.
The support provided by USAID-funded WEWE-LOPIN 2 project has been a huge help to Blessing and her family and with excitement, she says, “With my business, I can provide my children school fees, food, and other necessities. My second daughter will go to school and escape early marriage. She won’t drop out for lack of provision at home. All this happened because of USAID’s support to me and my family.” They have eased my burden, removed shame from my eyes, change my life and shaped my second daughter’s destiny and joy indeed has visited my heart.”
