Over 22 groups comprising of women, youths and people living with disability in Migori County have received assorted aid relief from the United Nations Procurement Division (UNPD) to help improve their living standards.
Mrs. Agnes Ochilo the wife of Migori Governor Dr. Ochilo Ayacko while flagging off the aid said that the UNPD in partnership with Mama Agnes Ochilo Foundation and Migori County Government will continue to engage developmental partners to uplift the lives of Migori residents.
The 22 groups received water tanks, tents and chairs, one-month-old chicks and dairy cows to aid them to improve their livelihoods.
Agnes affirmed that Covid 19 should serve as a reminder to reassess the strategies on how the residents can sustain their businesses in case of a future pandemic.
Agnes said that the Covid 19 pandemic affected the majority of the small-scale traders which majorly included women, youths and the disabled. She added that the UNPD aid will help the groups to boost their economic enterprises and improve their living standards.
She noted that proper intervention like UNDP aid will go a long way to addressing the economic challenges facing the vulnerable groups in order to achieve the social economic growth in the county.
She also added that the responsibility of her foundation was in line with the UNPD objectives of reducing the burden of vulnerable and special groups affected by Covid 19.
The Chairperson of People Living with Disability (PLWD) in Migori County David Otieno thanked the UNDP, the Agnes Foundation and Migori County for assisting the disabled.
Otieno however, called upon the facilitators of the aid to expand to other sub-counties so that those with disabilities can benefit from the same.
Barack Opiyo the Chairperson of Paw Nyuka Disabled Help Group in Suna East Sub County urged disabled persons in the county to form or join groups to help them benefit from different donors and disability stakeholders.
Migori County Special Programme’s Officer Ms. Starlet Oduor acknowledged that the donated items and equipment will help the youths, women and disabled to be self-reliant as well as improve their living standards instead of depending on hand-outs from well-wishers.
Starlet explained that the Special Programmes Department was established to identify and bring developmental partners together to help the residents of Migori in entrepreneurial activities to improve their welfare.
She pointed out that the department has done mapping for vulnerable groups in the county to assess their number, poverty levels and vulnerability index and how best to assist them.
By Geoffrey Makokha
