Senator Kashim Shettima has yesterday engaged 1,000 youths and women with empowerment machines and kits in Borno. The beneficiaries were drawn from the State’s Central Senatorial District, comprising eight councils, which Shettima represents at the National Assembly. According to him, the over 4,000 empowerment tools and kits, are for sawing, knitting, shoe making and fashion designs among the targeted trainees. He said the distributed kits are for women in IDP camps for them to learn trades, including tailoring, knitting, shoemaking and cosmetology. He however noted that education is the greatest game change in any developing society. “We’re supporting the lower class of people in society contribute to the development of the state. While distributing the kits on Monday in Maiduguri, Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed that; “This is the largest empowerment donation that has been procured by Sen. Shettima to the people of Borno.” He said the empowerment machines and kits will restore the lost livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps and host communities. “I urged the beneficiaries to judiciously utilize the kits by my predecessor,” he said, adding that they will also support IDPs’ means of livelihoods in communities. He warned the youths and women against selling the tools and kits for selfish interests. “We’ve witnessed such cases before, when distributed machines and tools were sold for their short term gains,” he said, noting that such practices will not be condoned. He urged other politicians to emulate Sen. Shettima by empowering more youths to overcome poverty and unemployment in the state. He said this will also enhance means of livelihoods of IDPs in camps, as insurgency has already destroyed their means of income.
