By Patricia Emezina
Close to 2,000 Anambra State Residents have received cash grants, business equipment, educational support and food assistance under a joint empowerment programme organized by the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative and Fidelity Bank Plc.
The beneficiaries of the intervention, were, those 100 women provided with sewing machines, another 100 women with grinding machines, 250 schoolchildren with solar-powered school bags and 1,500 vulnerable persons with food packs, aimed at improving livelihoods and promoting economic inclusion.
Speaking at the event which was held in Awka on June 13, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, described the programme as an investment in people and communities.
She said that empowering women, supporting children and assisting vulnerable families were essential to building a healthier and more prosperous Anambra society.
Dr. Soludo said the partnership between Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo and Fidelity Bank demonstrated the importance of collaboration in addressing social and economic challenges.
She noted that sustainable development can only be achieved when governments, private organisations and civil society work together to expand opportunities for vulnerable groups.
The governor’s wife highlighted the achievements of her non-governmental initiative, revealing that more than 350,000 sanitary pads had been distributed to schoolgirls through the Healthy Living Pad Bank Programme over the past two years, while over 25,000 packs of hybrid non-GMO seeds had been provided to households, schools and communities to encourage home gardening and improve nutrition.
“The initiative’s nutrition programme, Nonye’s Healthy Living Pap, had distributed more than 25,000 packs through primary healthcare centres across the state, contributing to a significant reduction in malnutrition, while our Healthy Living Saturday Workouts had expanded to all 21 local government areas of Anambra State.
“In addition to the empowerment packages, I have personally donated ₦100,000 each to the women beneficiaries and ₦5,000 each to the students, a gesture brought forward as part of ongoing efforts to support families and encourage educational development among young people,” she said.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the programme marked the first time the bank had combined three of its flagship social impact initiatives, the Fidelity Food Bank Initiative, Lighting Young Minds Programme and Give Her Power Initiative, under a single intervention.
She announced an additional ₦25 million contribution by the bank to support the empowerment programme.
The bank’s Divisional Head of Brand and Communications, Dr. Meksley Nwagboh, said Fidelity Bank remained committed to advancing education, women empowerment and food security through sustainable social interventions.
He said that the bank’s Food Bank Initiative had distributed more than 300,000 food packs across Nigeria since its launch in 2023, reaching hundreds of communities nationwide.
In her vote of thanks, Fidelity Bank’s Executive Director for the South Directorate, Mrs. Pamela Shodipo, commended participants and partners for supporting the initiative and urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the equipment and resources provided.
She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to community development and programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and expanding economic opportunities for Nigerians.
Patricia is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
