Miriam Nshile, the founder, Women Solidarity Initiative Development (WOSID), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has donated food items and pesticides to some groups of women farmers.

Ms Nshile told journalists on Saturday that the goodwill distribution to the widows and orphans was in the warm spirit of Christmas.

She urged well-meaning Nigerians, stakeholders, and the government to support the women as they deserve all the assistance they can get to survive.

“We want the government to support these hard-working women who have nothing to show for their hard work.

“They usually borrow farm equipment and materials to farm. Even when they harvest and sell their products, they use the money to pay their debts, leaving them with nothing to last till the next season.

“If the government can give them support, it can last them through the dry season, and they will have money to invest during the farming season without borrowing,” she said.

Ms Nshile also advised the government to render such support through NGOs for proper management and monitoring.

According to her, this will ensure that such donations are given to the people it is meant for and not be diverted to personal use.

She said, ”There are five groups of women to benefit from the gift, Area one women, Mararaba pandam women, Zakari women, buzi Akwap women and Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp New Kunchingoro.

“My dream is to ensure every rural woman is engaged in farming plants, harvesting proceeds and selling it or exporting it because they work so hard.

“Our aim is to empower and help the rural women because we have discovered that they are the real farmers.

“They farm year-in-year-out but the entrepreneurship aspect they do not know.

“They did not know how to make money from farming. So, WOSID came in and taught them how to process, package their farm produce, and send them abroad.”

(NAN)