There was wild jubilation in Afara Community, Etche Ward 1 as Hon. Engr. Austin Ben-Chioma, DSSRS, stormed the community with a massive women empowerment programme that left beneficiaries in tears of joy.
The programme, described by residents as unprecedented in the ward, provided economic support to hundreds of poor women, including market women, farmers, widows and single mothers who have been battered by harsh economic realities.
For many of the beneficiaries, it was the first time the impact of a politician was being felt directly.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Austen Ben-Chioma said he was moved by the stark reality that women bear the brunt of poverty in Nigeria. He lamented that despite carrying the heavy burden of feeding families and training children, women still earn the least and control almost nothing.
"Any government or growth that does not favour women has failed," he declared.
He explained that the empowerment goes beyond handouts, as it is designed to lift women from begging to business and from dependency to productivity.
Some of the beneficiaries, who could not hide their joy, offered fervent prayers for Ben-Chioma, saying he had wiped away their shame and given them capital to stand as women.
"This is not politics, this is rescue," one of the women shouted as she lifted her package.
With this intervention, Austen Ben-Chioma has once again demonstrated that true leadership is not about big grammar from Abuja, but about touching the lives of the poor where it matters most.
In Afara-Etche today, women are smiling again.
