500 Women Empowered as Amina Modupe Albert Marks Birthday at FCT IDP Camp

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

No fewer than 500 women were empowered on Sunday at the Durumi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, Abuja, as Founder of the Amina Modupe Albert Care and Shelter Initiative (AMA Care), Ambassador Amina Modupe Albert, marked her birthday with a humanitarian outreach.

Speaking at the event, Albert said the celebration was a deliberate choice to give hope, restore dignity, and create opportunities for displaced women and children who continue to face economic and social hardship.

“Today is special to me because it gives me the opportunity to celebrate life by giving back to those who need support and a chance to thrive,” she said.

Through the AMA Care and Shelter Initiative, beneficiaries received sewing machines, grinding machines, chillers, barbing kits, and start-up funds to support small-scale businesses and promote self-reliance. Scholarships were also awarded to 10 children in the camp to support their education.

Albert noted that humanitarian assistance goes beyond charity, stressing that empowerment through skills, education, and resources is key to breaking cycles of poverty.

“When people are deprived of basic needs, their potential remains untapped. By offering tools and opportunities, we enable them to contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.

She encouraged women in the camp to remain resilient, describing them as strong and capable, while urging children to see education as a pathway to a brighter future.

Albert revealed that she is a frequent visitor to the Durumi IDP Camp and considers supporting displaced persons a personal responsibility.

“I come here every year. When you see women who cannot fend for their children and children who cannot afford school, it touches your heart. Even a small contribution can change a life,” she said.

She also called on Nigerians to embrace kindness and urged government agencies to ensure that relief materials meant for IDPs are not politicized or diverted from the intended beneficiaries.

Reacting, the Woman Leader of the Durumi IDP Camp and Coordinator of Women Leaders across 18 IDP camps in the FCT, Ayuba Yusuf, described the outreach as unprecedented.

“We have been in this camp for almost 15 years, and we have never seen this kind of programme. Ambassador Amina used her personal resources to empower women and feed over 1,500 people daily. God will reward her,” Yusuf said.

She appealed to the government and well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Albert’s gesture, noting that the empowerment had brought renewed hope and joy to women and children in the camp.