Traders, artisans get ZSF’s Zakat largesse

Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF) has empowered 40 artisans and traders with marketable skills and cash worth of 20 million through a creative scheme designed by the foundation to promote entrepreneurial traits with a view to tackling the problem of poverty, unemployment and hopelessness confronting Nigerians.

The foundation rewarded 20 traders with the sum of 150,000 20 artisans get N250,000 each..

The 40 winners were selected out of the 160 applicants that applied for the first edition of the traders/artisans entrepreneurship development scheme.

Speaking at the Award/prize giving day, the Executive Director, ZSF, Prince Sulayman Olagunju said the initiative is part of ZSF entrepreneurship development programme for the uneducated persons.

“Just as we have business plan competition for the graduates, this is purely for those who are not that educated but are into vocation skills as well as trading”.

He said the project is an avenue to support and train diligent traders and artisans who are into business and need fund to grow.
“During the training, we realize that so many of them don’t even have any marketability skills or know how to do follow up on their customers which will go along way in winning and retaining customers.

“ The training will enhance their marketability skills and productivity, it will go a long way in helping them to handle their income. They will be able to separate profit from investment, improve customer relationship, learn how to sell on credit and retrieve money from creditors.

According to Olagunju the programme attracted 160 applicants out of which 40 were selected.

Those selected were those we realized that they are very poor and need to be supported. From their need most of them are asking between the range of 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 but by the time we are through 20 of them will go home with 150,000 each while the remaining 20 will go home with 250,000 each”

He said ZSF came up with the initiative due to the fact that some indigent were unable to communicate in English language, depriving them the opportunity to participate in the Business Plan Competition (BPC).

“Some people were not privileged to participate in the normal business Plan Competition due to language barrier. Most of them are traders and artisans and they can only communicate with their local dialect.

“So, the consultant come down to their level by interviewing and training them using their local language and at the end of the exercise, we are very please to say that they have done very well,” he said.

He advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money giving to them and extend the little they gather from the programme to other people.