AWON celebrates 5 years of building capacity for women in Nigeria

Association of Women Orientation for Sustainable Development in Nigeria ( AWON), a collation of women led Non Governmental and Community Based Organizations on Tuesday celebrated its 5th anniversary.

The founding President, Chief Grace Oluwatoye, said the association has
brought together about 70 women led, women focus NGO’s, CBO’s, building capacity for any member and their down lines in their membership association to know how to run civil society organization and follow the international trait.

Oluwatoye highlighted love and unity as key factors to boost livehood support of individual and improve economic capacity of many families.

“We keep telling ourselves that there is power in unity, and if we do it rightly we can boost the economic capacity of our families and livelihood by taking notes of things to improve family economic capacity, by paying attention to urban farming, looking after our children in a way that can empower them to have good life.”

Oluwatoye who made this comments during the five year anniversary celebration held in Ibadan lamented that the association is yet to receive the support of the present administration in Nigeria despite agreeing with all the gender activities of the federal government through Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

The Keynote Speaker at the event, Dr Mrs Adamito Iyun, a Retired Chief Consultant  advised women to create multiple streams of income for financial stability

” I feel that we have a lot of knowledge but we are not applying it to our lives. I do not believe that your retirement benefits would be enough to sustain you. You need other things to sustain you.”

Dr Iyun publicly recommended more investments in agriculture so women could achieve food sufficiency.

” As a Doctor, I grow vegetables, tomatoes, beans, peppers and I venture into buying foods in seasons, store  and sell then when its out of season. This brings additional money to my my purse”.

Vice President of AWON, and the Executive director of Tabitha Care foundation, Mrs Bola Thompson said “We are celebrating sustainancy that we have received from God, the association has done a lot by supporting businesses, building capacity in so many ways.”

” Majority of women here are vulnerable women , widows , women that have one needs or the other, AWON provides child educational support, we provide link to proper health care services and job opportunities”.

“We are also into farming, we train women to have skills to be able to take care of their families and become a good member of the society.”

Mrs Thompson appreciated the Oyo state govt, through the ministry of women affairs for providing technical support and making the environment conducive for all members of the association.