The Osun State Government has empowered 5,000 women by engaging them in local soap production.
The programme was in partnership with Kasmo Industries, an indigenous soap making company in Osogbo, the state capital.
According to facilitator of the programme, Mr. Rufus Idris, the 5,000 women supplied black soap which serves as raw material for the local production of over 6 million bar soap, “Dudu Kasmo”, for the first phase in the growing Kasmo Soap business.
It will be recalled that a memorandum of understanding was signed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Alhaji Kasali Owolabi, the CEO of Kasmo Industries Limited in October 2016 to create a non-governmental scheme to reduce hunger, poverty and raise the standard of living through wealth creation.
The benefits attached to the production of Kasmo soap include capacity building for employed staffs, giving the product more credibility as well as improving the quality and quantity of the products.
One of the local soap makers who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, Emilia Abioye said the initiative has empowered them by giving them direct access to produce for Kasmo Company thereby improving their profit.
She expressed her appreciation to the state government for the programme, she said this initiative a move could banish poverty in the land.
The government, however, reiterated its readiness to track the programme’s impact on the lives of itinerant women local soap makers in Osun State.
