By Kudirat Musa
Abuja – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have commenced the distribution of 766 milling machines to 5,000 displaced families in Borno.
Kelechi Onyemaobi, media officer for WFP, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja
The WFP said the gesture would help ease the problems faced by the families by processing grains to improve their lives.
Onyemaobi said the benefitting families were receiving the milling machines in 12 communities of selected local government areas.
He listed the LGAs to include Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Jere, Mafa, Monguno and Konduga.
“By processing grains such as sorghum and millet for others as well as for their own food needs, the families will also generate some income to maintain the milling machines, each of which comes with a toolbox.
“The milling machines also save time and energy for the users, especially for vulnerable women and girls who face a lot of difficulties in accessing milling services in the conflict-affected communities in the state.
“Distribution of the machines is focused on the most vulnerable groups in the state, especially women and girls, to reduce the problems they face in manual milling of their food grains.
“The women and girls, who are mostly responsible for food preparation, also are receiving training in the management of the machines,’’ he said.
He said that many families receiving food from WFP preferred to get milled sorghum or millet instead of the whole grains that take time to grind through traditional methods.
Onyemaobi said grains were being sold to access milling services in the camps or host communities, but added that with the milling machines the problem would be solved.
“We recognised that some families were selling part of the food assistance they received to pay for milling services, or spending so much time and energy to mill the grains using traditional methods.
“With these machines, they will now be able to save time and energy; conserve food, also generate some money to maintain the machines,” he said.
He noted that the milling machines initiative was made possible by the generous contributions to WFP’s food assistance activities in northeast Nigeria this year by Canada, European Commission, Finland and Switzerland.
Others, according to him are the United Kingdom (DFID), the United States (USAID), and private donors.
Onyemaobi added that WFP cooperating partners, such as Christian AID, Danish Refugees Council, CARE, International Medical Corps and INTERSOS trained the recipients on record keeping, financial management and maintenance of machines.
(NAN)