Nigerian entrepreneur secures funding for women empowerment programme in UK
By Franca Ochigbo, Abuja A Nigerian entrepreneur, Dr Victoria Olatunde, has secured funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to expand a programme she has been championing, the women empowerment
By Franca Ochigbo, Abuja
A Nigerian entrepreneur, Dr Victoria Olatunde, has secured funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to expand a programme she has been championing, the women empowerment initiatives in Blackburn, United Kingdom.
Olatunde, founder of Awero Care & Crafts Community Interest Company (CIC) has assured that she will use the grant to deliver structured wellbeing and skills-based programmes for 45 disadvantaged women, marking a major milestone for the organisation which has largely relied on self-funding and volunteer support.
In a statement signed by Dr. Olatunde, it states that as part of its expanding outreach, the organisation recently partnered with Humraaz Support Services, a Blackburn-based charity, on an eco-focused initiative titled Waste to Wonder. The programme brought together about 20 women who were trained to create fashion items using recycled and thrift materials, promoting sustainability alongside creative enterprise.
She said, “Everything I do connects creativity and wellness. When women sit together and make something from nothing, that is healing and that is enterprise, my approach is designed to make creative practice accessible, purposeful and environmentally conscious”.
Dr. Olatunde’s work in the UK builds on more than two decades of experience across Africa and Europe, where she has implemented programmes focused on empowering women, children and young people. Coming from a family background rooted in traditional tailoring, she has consistently used fashion and crafts as tools for economic empowerment and personal development.
READ ALSO: FULL LIST: 13 Prominent Nigerian celebrities, entertainers holding political positions
Despite personal challenges, she has continued to expand her impact, which includes her earlier initiative, the Victoria Olatunde Foundation. She delivered grassroots empowerment programmes in Africa, with participants going on to establish small businesses and independent income streams both locally and internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she self-funded outreach programmes in Abuja, Nigeria, providing free creative and wellness training to over 120 vulnerable individuals.
Speaking, Councillor Salim Sidat MBE of Blackburn with Darwen Council said she has seen first-hand the dedication and impact of Dr Olatunde’s work. This is the first time according to her Olatunde has received this level of support, and it is truly well deserved, she said. With all this, Awero Care & Crafts continues to grow through new partnerships, mentorship and community-based initiatives in the UK.
