On July 7, 2022, SAPEPATH concluded her first phase of trainings for women workers from the informal economy on gender equality and entrepreneurial skills at Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. The training which kicked off in March 2022 is aimed at empowering these category of workers drawn from Onitsha and Nkwelle Ezunaka communities (who break stones used in the construction of buildings and road construction for a living) with life skills and financial support to undertake small scale business venture.
An assessment carried out by SAFEPATH revealed that due to the socio economic situation in the country which has been further compounded by COVID 19 restrictions and secessionist agitations in the south east, these women from poor communities have taken to manually digging up and breaking stones for a living. They often work with their minor aged children in unsafe and hazardous work conditions with no personal protective equipment; painstakingly crushing stones using primitive tools. Some of the effects of this work includes loss of work hours for reproductive work, undue stress, non-retention
of children in schools, exposure to poisonous snakes /scorpion and gender based violence. The women workers also complained about exposure to hazardous dust conditions, respiratory tract infections, sore eyes, blisters, diarrhea, malaria, body aches
and pains.
SAFEPATH has so far facilitated capacity building trainings on gender equality, occupational safety and health, leadership, technical and business management skills over a period of three months with the women. We have also provided seed funds to
enable participants start up small scale business venture as a way of augumenting their income and providing an alternative source of livelihood earning. The organization is presently working to assist women stone crushers set up a local savings scheme that will act as a support channel for women to save and borrow for emergency situations