Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the Emir of Tsafe on Wednesday commended Save the Children International (SCI), an NGO, for improving the livelihood of rural women and households in Zamfara.
Abubakar gave the commendation when social protection stakeholders from Kaduna State, led by the SCI visited him in his palace.
The stakeholders were on a two-day study tour of Zamfara Social Protection Programme.
The emir noted that the organisation had made unconditional Cash Transfer of N4, 000 monthly to pregnant women and mothers of children under two years in the state.
He said the SCI did that under its Child Development Grant Programme (CDGP), Phase I which ended in July.
According to the emir, the programme has impacted positively on the livelihood of rural women and their households.
“The programme has not only united our women, but empowered them financially to provide nutritious food for their families.
“I want to say that the programme has transformed the lives of our women beyond what words can explain.
“For this, I am open to any kind of collaboration and support that will empower my people and their households and improve the quality of their lives.
“We have seen the benefits, so, I am assuring you of support in the implementation of the second phase of the programme.’’
Earlier, SCI team leader, Mr Tanko Langaya, explained that they were in the palace to seek the support of the emir in the implementation of CDGP phase II.
Langaya said that the phase II was designed to improve capacity of government officials, stakeholders and strengthen existing systems in the delivery of life-changing social protection programmes.
He recalled that CDGP phase I was implemented in Tsafe and Anka Local Government Areas of the state.
Langaya said that the Kaduna team visit was to learn from the experiences of the beneficiaries.
Some of the beneficiaries described the programme as ‘life changing,’ stressing that it had taken them out of poverty.
They also explained that it had provided them with income in improving household nutrition.
Mrs Nafisa Gambo, a beneficiary, told the visiting team at Magazu village that the programme had empowered her with knowledge to properly feed and take care of her children.
Gambo, who rears goat, courtesy of the programme, said that she could now take care of her basic needs with proceeds from the business.
At Gidan Dawa village, Mrs Hajara Malami said that she had started grains business through the programme and had been assisting her husband in providing adequate nutrition for the family.
Also, at Yandoton Daji, Mrs Rabi Aliyu noted that although the programme had ended, it equipped women with information, skills and business ideas.
