Betta Edu celebrates 40th birthday with empowerment, scholarships for Benue IDPs

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Betta Edu, has provided business start-up equipment, educational scholarships and food assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Benue State as part of activities marking her 40th birthday.

The intervention, which took place at an IDP camp in Makurdi, distribution of 40 sewing machines, 40 grinding machines, 40 refrigerators or deep freezers, 40 hairdressing equipment sets and scholarships for 40 children.

Edu also announced tailoring training for women, support for persons with disabilities and the distribution of bags of rice to displaced families.

She said she chose to celebrate her 40th birthday with displaced persons rather than organize an elaborate party in Abuja or travel abroad, explaining that the decision was driven by gratitude to God and a personal commitment to support the vulnerable people.

She recalled that during a visit to an IDP camp in Benue in October 2023, she was deeply moved by the suffering of displaced families and promised to return to support them if her life was spared.

According to her, reaching the age of 40 provided an opportunity to fulfil that promise and demonstrate solidarity with people facing hardship.

Edu said the intervention was designed not only to provide immediate relief but also to empower displaced persons to rebuild their lives, establish sustainable livelihoods and eventually leave the camps.

She explained that the sewing machines would be distributed to 40 women who would also receive tailoring training, while the grinding machines, refrigeration equipment and hairdressing sets would enable beneficiaries to establish small businesses and generate income.

The former minister said the initiative was intended to help beneficiaries support their families and become economically independent, stressing that sustainable empowerment was essential to addressing the challenges of displacement.

She also announced scholarships for 40 children from the camp to enable them to continue their education despite the financial difficulties facing their families.

Edu disclosed that the latest intervention would bring the number of scholarships she had provided to Nigerian children over the past decade to approximately 40,000, according to her records as she has done same in Adadama, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State, where community clashes and violence had affected families’ ability to provide for their children’s education.

She urged parents and guardians in the camps to prioritize education, describing it as a pathway to a better future for children growing up in difficult circumstances and cautioned against exposing girls to sexual exploitation and abuse in exchange for money or material assistance, but to protect their children’s dignity and keep them in school.

The former minister encouraged displaced families not to lose hope, saying their current circumstances should not determine their future.

She added that bags of rice had been prepared for distribution to ensure that those who did not receive business equipment would also benefit from the outreach.

Edu, who noted that the birthday outreach was a collective effort, further acknowledged the contributions of friends and supporters who joined her in funding and organizing the humanitarian intervention, just as she commended the medical team at the venue, which she said had attended to close to 10,000 people by the time she addressed the gathering.

The former minister also commended President Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, for their efforts towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in the state.

In his remarks, Governor Alia, who was represented by his Deputy, Sam Ode, commended Edu for choosing to celebrate her milestone birthday with displaced persons, describing the gesture as a demonstration of compassion, solidarity and commitment to humanity.

Alia expressed concern over the effects of insecurity on communities across Benue, noting that displacement had disrupted livelihoods, separated families from their ancestral homes, interrupted children’s education and placed additional pressure on host communities.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government, humanitarian organisations, development partners, religious institutions and other stakeholders to address the needs of displaced persons.

Alia said sustainable solutions to displacement required coordinated interventions in security, shelter, food assistance, healthcare, education, access to clean water and livelihood restoration, stressing that the government’s ultimate goal was to ensure that displaced persons could return to their homes, farms and communities under safe conditions.

According to him, the return of IDPs must be safe, voluntary and dignified, adding that no displaced person would be compelled to return to a community without feeling secure.

The governor assured those remaining in camps and host communities of continued government support and also assured Edu that the donated items would be judiciously distributed and used to support beneficiaries’ livelihoods and promote lasting solutions to displacement.

The governor called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, civil society groups, the private sector and humanitarian partners to address the humanitarian crisis and restore peace in Benue State.

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