The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NGO

  • NGO partners Osun, Fed. Govt. on cancer education

    NGO partners Osun, Fed. Govt. on cancer education

    In its bid to stem the rate of prevalence of cancer in the country, the Glorious Youth Empowerment Centre (GYEC), a non-governmental  organisation (NGO), in partnership with Marie Stopes International, Nigeria, the Osun State and the Federal Ministry of Health, has held a cancer sensitisation and screening programme in Osun State for women.

    No fewer than 23 nurses were trained by a team of specialists from Marie Stopes International, Nigeria at a week-long workshop entitled “Who Shall Deliver us From This Plague?” held in Osogbo, Osun State capital city.

    Out of the 23 nurses, 15 were from Osun Hospital Management Board, seven from Osun Ministry of Health and one from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hopital (LAUTECHTH).

    Subsequent to the workshop, a capacity building training was carried out for health personnel at the General Hospital Asubiaro in Osogbo.

    According to the team leader of the cancer project, Glorious Youth Empowerment Centre, Dr. Samuel Ekundayo, 200 women were screened for cancer during the week-long programme.

    Ekundayo, who revealed that 80 women were screened for cervical cancer, said at the end of the exercise, no case of cervical cancer was recorded, adding that medical advice was offered to the participants.

    Explaining the mission of the programme, the founder of the NGO, Mrs. Remi Ajibewa, noted that the GYEC had vast interest and experience in the provision of support and necessities for the vulnerable youth, women and widows in the society, saying “our mission is to promote quality life for women, children, young people and other vulnerable population through skill development, enlightenment, advocacy engagements and direct support services.”

    Continuing, she said: “We have specifically focused the attention of this workshop on cancer in order to enlighten our people, especially at this time when our current lifestyles predispose us to different kinds of diseases.

    “Our interest in cancer is because the disease is one of the toughest fights anyone can face. Or even one of the greatest challenges difficult to come to terms with when it is diagnosed. The disease is growing rapidly in our community like a raged fire and the entire world at large, with several lives lost and dreams shattered.

    “The World Health Organisation (WHO) says cancer accounts for 13 per cent of all deaths registered globally. Seventy per cent of that figure occurs in middle and low income countries. In Nigeria, about 10,000 cancer deaths are recorded annually while 250,000 new cases are recorded yearly, with breast and cervical cancers being the commonest among women.

    “Prostate cancer is more prevalent in men. Unfortunately, many Nigerians are still poorly educated on this growing disease. Many Nigerians still see cancer as a disease of the wealthy, the elderly and even restricted to the developed countries. While many sufferers of the disease in the country, on the other hand, still regard it as their fate and, as such, a death sentence.

    “Cancer is not just a health issue; it has far-reaching social and economic implications. It also does not discriminate. It is a global epidemic that affects all ages. Its consequences are alarming, challenging and very demanding; even as it has been noted to kill more than HIV and AIDS.

    “Although persistent research is still ongoing towards finding a permanent cure for this most puzzled disease, we at GYEC believe that massive awareness of the general populace is critical to stemming the tide of cancer in Nigeria and indeed globally.”

  • NGO partners The Nation on youths’ development

    Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), a nonprofit, nongovernmental organisation has restated its commitment towards youths’ empowerment, saying this becomes inevitable to secure a better future for them.

    The NGO gave this charge over the weekend when its Executive Director, Anuoluwa Ishola, led a delegation to the corporate headquarters of Vintage Press, Lagos, publishers of The Nation newspaper titles.

    Justifying the essence of the visit, Ishola said YEDI was determined to partner with the media house so as to further strengthen its developmental projects.

    Ishola who noted that the group was set up five years ago, stressed that it deploys behavioral change communication and advocacy programmes to promote specific causes as well as raise awareness about public health, among others.

    While reeling out its success stories thus far, the YEDI boss said the group has reached out to over 400 communities across three states namely: Lagos, Ogun and Akwa Ibom including 80,000 young people (girls and boys) through behavioural change communication for awareness and uptake of appropriate actions on HIV/AIDS prevention.

    Echoing similar sentiments, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, YEDI, Chukwudike Akanegbu said the organisation constantly partners with Lagos State Ministry of Health and other relevant nongovernmental organisations for the provision of youth-friendly services to adolescents in the state.

    “This partnership is also come in handy when we are venturing into new territories, providing a smooth landing, instant community buy-in for our programs and permitting us to reach more young people in disadvantaged communities,” he said.

    The duo of Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, Managing Editor/Online/Special Publication and Mr. Olayinka Oyegbile, Deputy Editor, The Nation on Sunday, received the team on behalf of the Vintage Press management.

    The editors, who lauded the team for taking the initiative, urged the organisation to set up a helpline with which it can work with youths to promote confidentiality. This, according to them, will help the young ones to open up and speak about the challenges they are facing so that they can seek for help. “Share some of the stories you are working on such as those whose rights are being violated so that journalists can take up such issues and do investigative stories on such issues.”

  • NGO partners Osun, Fed. Govt. on cancer education

    NGO partners Osun, Fed. Govt. on cancer education

    In its bid to stem the rate of prevalence of cancer in the country, the Glorious Youth Empowerment Centre (GYEC), a non-governmental  organisation (NGO), in partnership with Marie Stopes International, Nigeria, the Osun State and the Federal Ministry of Health, has held a cancer sensitisation and screening programme in Osun State for women.

    No fewer than 23 nurses were trained by a team of specialists from Marie Stopes International, Nigeria at a week-long workshop entitled “Who Shall Deliver us From This Plague?” held in Osogbo, Osun State capital city.

    Out of the 23 nurses, 15 were from Osun Hospital Management Board, seven from Osun Ministry of Health and one from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hopital (LAUTECHTH).

    Subsequent to the workshop, a capacity building training was carried out for health personnel at the General Hospital Asubiaro in Osogbo.

    According to the team leader of the cancer project, Glorious Youth Empowerment Centre, Dr. Samuel Ekundayo, 200 women were screened for cancer during the week-long programme.

    Ekundayo, who revealed that 80 women were screened for cervical cancer, said at the end of the exercise, no case of cervical cancer was recorded, adding that medical advice was offered to the participants.

    Explaining the mission of the programme, the founder of the NGO, Mrs. Remi Ajibewa, noted that the GYEC had vast interest and experience in the provision of support and necessities for the vulnerable youth, women and widows in the society, saying “our mission is to promote quality life for women, children, young people and other vulnerable population through skill development, enlightenment, advocacy engagements and direct support services.”

    Continuing, she said: “We have specifically focused the attention of this workshop on cancer in order to enlighten our people, especially at this time when our current lifestyles predispose us to different kinds of diseases.

    “Our interest in cancer is because the disease is one of the toughest fights anyone can face. Or even one of the greatest challenges difficult to come to terms with when it is diagnosed. The disease is growing rapidly in our community like a raged fire and the entire world at large, with several lives lost and dreams shattered.

    “The World Health Organisation (WHO) says cancer accounts for 13 per cent of all deaths registered globally. Seventy per cent of that figure occurs in middle and low income countries. In Nigeria, about 10,000 cancer deaths are recorded annually while 250,000 new cases are recorded yearly, with breast and cervical cancers being the commonest among women.

    “Prostate cancer is more prevalent in men. Unfortunately, many Nigerians are still poorly educated on this growing disease. Many Nigerians still see cancer as a disease of the wealthy, the elderly and even restricted to the developed countries. While many sufferers of the disease in the country, on the other hand, still regard it as their fate and, as such, a death sentence.

    “Cancer is not just a health issue; it has far-reaching social and economic implications. It also does not discriminate. It is a global epidemic that affects all ages. Its consequences are alarming, challenging and very demanding; even as it has been noted to kill more than HIV and AIDS.

    “Although persistent research is still ongoing towards finding a permanent cure for this most puzzled disease, we at GYEC believe that massive awareness of the general populace is critical to stemming the tide of cancer in Nigeria and indeed globally.”

  • NGO: plot to take over Turkish schools ’ll fail in Nigeria

    THE Head of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA) – the umbrella body of over 600 education civil society organisations – Mrs. Chioma Osuji, said at the weekend that the plot by a Turkish government-backed organisation to take over Turkish schools would fail in Africa.

    She queried: “How is that possible? An NGO taking over private investments with the aid of the government? That’s not possible. They can’t just wake up one day and take over the schools. That would be terrible.

    “This is Africa. We won’t allow any foreign country to treat us like one banana continent. I don’t really see any country in Africa buying that. Certainly not Nigeria. It would be met with stiff opposition.”

    CSACEFA was formed in the run-up to the World Education Summit in Dakar, capital of Senegal, in 2000 by 40 education NGOs in Africa. It now has well over 600 CSOs as members.

    Mrs. Osuji said Hizmet Movement schools, otherwise known as Turkish schools, are contributing to the development of education in Nigeria and other African countries.

    She urged African governments to resist any plot by the Turkish government to undermine their sovereignties and respectability by accepting its disguised order to hand over the Turkish schools to Maarif Foundation.

    Turkish authorities launched a massive crackdown on the Hizmet Movement after the July 15 failed coup, arresting 20,000 public servants and dismissing nearly 150,000 public officials over alleged ties to the movement.

    The government has also confiscated the properties of hundreds of companies and arrested leading businessmen over suspected links to the movement.

    Despite tremendous efforts exerted by the government, only a few countries have given in to pressure from Ankara over the shutdown of Hizmet-linked schools, with a majority of them refusing to meet the demands of the Turkish government.

    After failing in his bid to make governments across the world close schools run by Hizmet Movement associates, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has established a decoy foundation to achieve his aim.

    An NGO, Maarif Foundation, could not secure financial support from local Turkish businessmen, forcing the government to turn to gulf countries for funding.

    The Turkish government has been making vigorous efforts to make other countries close Hizmet Movement-affiliated schools over the allegations that the movement orchestrated the July 15 failed attempt to topple it.

    On September 14, Turkish Minister of Education Ismet Yilmaz announced that the Maarif Foundation was planning to take over 65 schools linked with Hizmet Movement in 15 countries.

    Unanimous government sources said the latest move was aimed at taking control of the schools and closing them afterwards.

     

     

     

     

  • NGO tackles water scarcity in Ebonyi

    NGO tackles water scarcity in Ebonyi

    A Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, the Initiative for Positive Leadership Ambassadors of Nigeria (IPLAN) has sunk 22 boreholes in Ebonyi communities in a bid to scale back their water challenges.

    The NGO said it secured the funds for the projects from the Mike Ifere Foundation.

    Director of IPLAN, Mr Michael Ifere told The Nation that the organisation embarked on the borehole project after a feasibility study it carried out in the state showed that water is an acute problem in the state.

    “Immediately, IPLAN swung into action by providing water boreholes to some rural communities. We decided to pick Ezza North local government area first where we are currently providing twenty-two number boreholes to residents of the area, two in each of the eleven wards that make up the local government area”, he said.

    According to him, some of the communities that have benefited from the borehole provision are Oriuzor, Ekka, Umuoghara, Okposhi, Oshiegbe, Nkomoro, Umuezeoka, Umuezeokaoha and Omege.

    He said the NGO plans to extend its activities to other local government areas such as Ezza South, Ikwo, Ishielu and Ohaukwu LGAs.

    Mr Ifere said the organisation also have plans to build the capacity of the youths in the state by building a skill acquisition centre in selected communities in the state to train the youths on skill acquisition to fight unemployment and crime in the society.

  • NGO renovates school library

    A non profit-making body, Christianah Foundation has urged pupils to imbibe reading culture.

    Its co-founder Abayomi Akinjide, spoke during the inauguration of the renovated  school library of Elekuro High School, Oke-Ogbere, Ibadan.

    The foundation donated prizes to indigent pupils in memory of Chief Elizabth Akinjide.

    He said the foundation was reviving reading attitude among youths.

    “What the Christianah Foundation is doing is to encourage book reading and writing and you cannot be writing without having people to read them. So, a lot of efforts are being made in that direction. Why we are doing this as a foundation is to sustain the legacy of our late grandmother, Mrs Elizabeth Akinjide, who, in her lifetime, showed a passion for education.

    “Parents need to encourage our students to read from childhood. The best gift parents can beget to their children is qualitative education. On our part, we shall ensure that we sustain this foundation to build future leaders and improve the standard of education in the state,” Akinjide added.

    Principal, Elekuro High School, Oke-Ogbere, Ibadan, Mr Kunle Lawal, who thanked the foundation for the gesture, identified poor reading culture as one of the major problems facing secondary school education.

    “This has made most youths academically poor, socially deficient, and morally unbalanced. In fact, most of them are more or less semi illiterates,” he lamented.

    Lawal was hopeful that the renovation of the library would help boost reading among beneficiaries.

     

  • NGO tackles water scarcity in Ebonyi

    A Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, the Initiative for Positive Leadership Ambassadors of Nigeria (IPLAN) has sunk 22 boreholes in Ebonyi communities in a bid to scale back their water challenges.

    The NGO said it secured the funds for the projects from the Mike Ifere Foundation.

    Director of IPLAN, Mr Michael Ifere told The Nation that the organisation embarked on the borehole project after a feasibility study it carried out in the state showed that water is an acute problem in the state.

    “Immediately, IPLAN swung into action by providing water boreholes to some rural communities. We decided to pick Ezza North local government area first where we are currently providing twenty-two number boreholes to residents of the area, two in each of the eleven wards that make up the local government area”, he said.

    According to him, some of the communities that have benefited from the borehole provision are Oriuzor, Ekka, Umuoghara, Okposhi, Oshiegbe, Nkomoro, Umuezeoka, Umuezeokaoha and Omege.

    He said the NGO plans to extend its activities to other local government areas such as Ezza South, Ikwo, Ishielu and Ohaukwu LGAs.

    Mr Ifere said the organisation also have plans to build the capacity of the youths in the state by building a skill acquisition centre in selected communities in the state to train the youths on skill acquisition to fight unemployment and crime in the society.

  • Excitement as pupils get NGOs’ largesse

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Transform a Life Initiative (TAL) and Dreams from the Slum Initiative, have partnered to distribute exercise books and stationery to some pupils of Araromi Local Government Area, Lagos.

    The organisations said the gesture was part of their efforts to build capacity and enhance beneficiaries’ education standard.

    At the presentation of the items,  the spokesperson for TAL, Mrs Fisayo Dayo-Samuel, said the gesture was initiated to promote and give education opportunities to the less privileged and other young adults.

    She added that efforts would be intensified to ensure that more academically gifted but economically disadvantaged pupils continue to benefit from the largesse.

    She said: “We believe that there are very brilliant and vibrant pupils based in this community; but they are disadvantaged due to economic reasons. Our organisation sees that aside the payment of these pupils’ fees, there are other needs to be met by their parents and guardians. So we have come to meet some of those needs”.

    The Coordinator of Dreams from the Slum, Omoyele Isaac-Success, also said: “We  make the dreams of vulnerable children a reality by providing educational opportunities.’’

    One of the beneficiaries, a Primary Four pupil of Destiny Primary School, Yewande Obogun, hailed both organisations, thanking them for the kind gesture. She promised that the items given her would be judiciously used.

  • NGO rewards customers with cars, gift items

    NGO rewards customers with cars, gift items

    Touching Lives International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has held its second edition of the car award and recognition of top achievers.

    In this year’s edition, seven sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were given out to individuals as well as 402 household items.

    They also received cheques worth US 2,000 dollars to empower the less-privileged people.  Eighty people also qualified for a trip to Dubai next month.

    This is an improvement over the first edition held in July where two persons received the star prize of one SUV each. Each of the vehicles had a monetary value of N7 to 10 million.

    Winners came from Port Harcourt, Calabar, Uyo, Abuja and Lagos. Household items such as LED TVs, washing machines, freezers, laptops, tablets, phones, power generating sets, gas cookers, split unit air-conditioners, cartons of noodles and several half bags of rice were also won.

    The organisation was launched in Nigeria on July 8, though has its headquarters in the Philippines.

    Also present at the event were representatives of the company’s business partners such as Zenith Bank, Skye Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank; Hyundai, Renault; GAC; Changai Motors and Travelstart.

    Country Manager of the company, Moses Durodola enjoined Nigerians to avail themselves of the rare opportunity of not only being a life wire to the communities, but also empowering themselves. He said everyone is a winner and compensated in cash or gifts if their membership of the company is built to a certain level.

    Durodola noted that theirs is an NGO that is welfare sensitive. He reeled off the activities the company engages in to include medical outreaches, skill acquisition and training, catering and bead making through free seminars.

    Emmanuel Okon, one of the recipients who received two cars, expressed his joy for the gesture. He told Southwest Report of how he resigned from teaching to face multi-level marketing as a fulltime profession.

    Okon, who is a post-graduate student at the University of Calabar, is entitled for seven cars, apart from other freebies attached to his awards before the end of the year.

    According to him, he resigned to take up the network business because he knew their will be a promising reward.

    “It has not been easy staying focused, organising seminars and workshops. Now, I realise that all that has been worth the trouble. So, with all these items, I will drive some cars, sell some, give out some and use the rest to establish myself,” he said.

    He urged everyone to key into the business of networking, as it is the only way one can break even in this 21st Century.

    Sansudeen Adebayo, who is the youngest recipient, said he joined the business to get himself out of boredom and also to help himself. He also said he has dedicated all his time and little resources into the business which he said, has sustained him.

    He called on other youths to embrace the networking business in order to take their minds off criminality and other social vices.

  • Excitement as pupils get NGOs’ largesse

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Transform a Life Initiative (TAL) and Dreams from the Slum Initiative, have partnered to distribute exercise books and stationery to some pupils of Araromi Local Government Area, Lagos.

    The organisations said the gesture was part of its efforts to build capacity and enhance beneficiaries’ education standard.

    At the presentation of the items,  the spokesperson for TAL Mrs Fisayo Dayo-Samuel, said the gesture was initiated to promote and give education opportunities to the less privileged and other young adults.

    She added that efforts would be intensified to ensure that more academically gifted but economically disadvantaged pupils continue to benefit from the largesse.

    She said: “We believe that there are very brilliant and vibrant pupils based in this community; but they are disadvantaged due to economic reasons. Our organisation sees that aside the payment of these pupil fees, there are other needs to be met by their parents and guardians. So we have come to meet some of those needs”.

    The Coordinator of Dreams from the Slum, Omoyele Isaac-Success, also said:”We  make the dreams of vulnerable children a reality by providing educational opportunities.’’

    One of the beneficiaries, a Primary Four pupil of Destiny Primary School, Yewande Obogun, hailed both organisations, thanking them for the kind gesture. She promised that items given her would be judiciously used.