Before we dismiss an empowerment initiative because it does not suit our personal circumstances, we should pause and consider those at the grassroots whose realities are very different from ours.
Three years ago, during my father’s burial in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, a woman approached me with a request for business support. She presented a proposal requiring ₦70,000 to start a roadside cooking business. Rather than give the exact amount she requested, I decided to round it up to ₦100,000.
That simple intervention transformed her life.
Today, she is a success story. Since receiving that support, she has never returned to ask me for another kobo. She built a sustainable livelihood from what many would describe as “a little token.”
This experience came to mind as I watched the widespread criticism that greeted Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks about empowering women with modest amounts of money to start businesses such as akara and kuli-kuli production. Many commentators viewed the suggestion through the lens of their own circumstances, asking whether graduates should be encouraged to sell akara.
Ironically, I had the same conversation with my wife. She argued that the First Lady appeared to be suggesting that graduates should embrace akara businesses. I disagreed. My understanding is that such empowerment programmes are not primarily designed for graduates seeking white-collar employment. Rather, they target economically disadvantaged women who simply need a small amount of capital to begin earning a living.
To make my point, I reminded my wife of a woman in her village in Ayere who could genuinely benefit from such support. That woman is not active on social media. She is not part of the online debate. Yet, she represents thousands of women across rural communities whose lives can change through relatively small investments.
Our conversation did not end there. Inspired by that perspective, I advised my wife to empower the woman with ₦150,000 next month, help her develop a viable business idea and then observe the outcome over the next six months.
Sometimes, we become so focused on our own expectations that we forget those at the margins of society. Not every empowerment programme is designed for the middle class or university graduates. Many are intended for people whose greatest obstacle is the lack of startup capital for small businesses capable of feeding their families.
The true measure of such initiatives should not be whether they appeal to those of us with smartphones, internet access and active social media accounts. Rather, it should be whether they create opportunities for the poor, especially women in our villages and underserved communities.
Grassroots development begins with understanding the realities of the people at the grassroots. My experience with the woman in Isanlu reinforced that truth. A modest intervention changed one life completely. Imagine the impact if similar opportunities reached thousands more.
Sometimes, changing a life does not require millions. It simply requires seeing beyond ourselves.
Adetayo Opeyemi writes from Abuja.
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