Entrepreneur || Enactus students to empower widows, artisans in Nigeria - Punch Newspaper

Enactus Covenant University, a platform run by students of the institution, has said its projects were geared towards empowering widows and artisans in the country.

The platform was created to inspire students to improve the society through entrepreneurship by creating community development projects that improve people’s livelihoods.

The group, during its visit to the headquarters of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Punch Place, Ogun State on Thursday, said it had carried out two projects to empower widows and artisans.

According to the Faculty Adviser of Enactus, Mr. Michael Fagbohun, the essence of the projects was to use what was learnt in the classroom to solve real life problems.

He said, “We are carrying out two projects through the platform. One is the Energy Retention Bag, also called eco bag, which we are training women, particularly widows, how to make. The bag can preserve food for 72 hours. The second project is called, ‘Tunse’ (meaning, to repair), which a team of three postgraduate students of the university developed.

“On the eco bag project, we are working with three non-governmental organisations in Lagos to empower widows. We want to empower widows through this initiative. We are also buying machines for them to make the eco bag.”

A member of the team, Segun Olabinjo, said the project was deliberately targeted at widows to provide them with a source of livelihood.

He added that 70 per cent of the raw materials used to make the eco bag were being sourced locally.

He said, “It is a bag that can retain energy for 72 hours. We are deliberately targeting widows because it can empower them to make money so that they can take care of themselves without depending on others.

“We are also teaching them financial management even as they make money from manufacturing the bag. We have to take care of the widows in our midst because most of them suffer a lot. Meanwhile, we also plan to take this initiative to people with disabilities.”

Speaking on the “Tunse” project, another member of the platform, Onyemaebi Chinonso, said the project was a web-based application for Nigerians who need the services of artisans.

“The world is becoming more complex. New technologies are coming up. We want to carry everyone along. The initiative is a way of empowering our artisans,” she said.

Asked how the competence and integrity of the artisans being brought on board were being verified, Fagbohun said, “We are going through the artisans’ associations or unions. Some of them also come to Covenant University for verification before being listed on the website.