The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NGO

  • NGO threatens to withdraw facility over rent

    NGO threatens to withdraw facility over rent

    A free annual medical outreach in Amachara, a community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State may be withdrawn by the non-governmental organisation which administers it.

    Why? The NGO, Chike and Chinyere Onyekwere Foundation said the community is insisting on collecting rent on the space used by the foundation.

    The NGO was said to have spent up to N15m in medication and services given free to the residents in four years.

    Speaking with The Nation on the telephone, the chairman of the organisation, Chikeziri Onyekwere said that it is absurd that the elders of the community who have been receiving free medical care from his foundation for over four years are asking him to pay rent for using the town hall for the facility.

    Onyekwere said that since he started the programme for the people of his community, he has never asked any of the patients to pay for the health care treatment they have been receiving, “It is not as if we are making money from this venture and if they insist on collecting rent from me, then I will withdraw the facility from them”.

    He said that the free medical facility was established way back in 2013 to give 100% free medical facility to persons under the age of 50 years and above, including children, adding that he decided to give the facility to the people because of the high death rate on the old people and children.

    The NGO boss said that all the patients who come there for treatment are given free medicine as well without asking them for money, “Our own free medical scheme includes free drugs and the drugs we do not have we ask them to come back for it and not to go out to source for them”.

    Onyekwere said that the NGO decided to run the free medical care for the people of the area, “Because we believe that there is need to compliment the efforts of the state government to ensure that the citizenry and now the elders of the community want to charge rent from us for using the town hall which is discouraging and unacceptable in all ramifications”.

    He noted that the free medical service has treated about 7,000 patients with different ailments and that it has been personally financed with the resources from his family, adding that there has never been any foreign or local aid and called on the people to support them with prayers, as what he is doing is one of the ways he wants to give back to his community.

    Onyekwere explained that the free medical scheme has succeeded in handling cases of patients who in normal circumstances are not aware of the potential life-threatening diseases they have and could not afford the money to finance their medical treatment.

    He said that he also has about 20 students from the area in his scholarship scheme, saying, “I want to give a voice to the less privileged, not a voice to oppose government or anyone but a voice to live a meaningful life in the society”.

    In his reaction the traditional ruler of Umuokorodo, HRH Eze Akpunku Iheuwa said that the people of the community appreciated the gesture of the free medical services of the NGO, but that they have decided to charge rent on the space used in the civic centre hall because they believed that the NGO was winning foreign financial assistance with the programme.

    Eze Iheuwa said that the community has decided to relocate the free medical scheme centre to a two bedroom apartment behind the civic centre premises and insisted that the NGO must pay rent for the accommodation.

    In his own speech the chairman Amachara Welfare Association [AWA], Sunday Andrew said that the community was working hard to complete the construction work on the two bedroom apartment behind the civic centre hall so that the free health care service will be relocated.

    Andrew acknowledged that fact that the presence of the free medical scheme has helped in no small way to reduce the rate of death among the aged and children in the community.

    “However we must relocate the scheme to allow other activities of the community at the civic centre”.

     

  • NGO teaches pupils to care for environment

    In celebration of this year’s World Environmental Day, the Conservative Environmental Growth and Development Centre (CEGDEC) took out time to visit Oke-Afa Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, Jakande Estate, Isolo to educate the pupils on the need to take positive environmental actions.

    Addressing the pupils at the school’s assembly, the Founder, CEGDEC, Mrs Olayemi Maryam, urged the pupils to adopt an eco-friendly sustainable lifestyle.

    “Do an inventory of your energy usage, your consuming habits and your reliance on unsustainable products, make a list of ways you intend to curb your unsustainable activities and habits and replace them with sustainable ones, and set yourself a timeline to meet, with harder changes at the end of the timeline,” she said.

    She further said Nigerians had not been paying attention to their environment, which has created a lot of concern for environmentalists.

    She advised the pupils to read the labels of origin and manufacturer of goods they buy.

    “Are they certified as sustainable? Are they organic? For example, organic cotton clothing causes much less environmental damage than conventional cotton-growing methods; are they sustainably obtained? Such as with obtaining fish, are they locally made?  Don’t shoot down the people who are trying to make improvements, instead, get involved and help them,” she added.

  • ‘Why NGOs fail’

    ‘Why NGOs fail’

    For Michael Oluwabukola Nelson, advocacy goes beyond an active verbal support for a cause. The executive director of the Dreams Project for Africa, formerly known as the African Democratic Dreams project, is set to promote social equality among all people and encourage young people to embrace and participate in nation-building programmes and democratic avenues for change.

    Speaking with our reporter, in an online forum, Nelson said many NGOs in the country miss the mark because they fail to engage the common people.

    “This is where most other NGO’s (or advocacy group) fail. When you tackle issues without bringing those who would benefit from the issues into an understanding of the problem they are facing, you are likely to fail.

    “So Dream Project for Africa ensures first that those whom the programmes are designed for are fully aware of the essence of the programme”, Nelson said.

    On Dream  Project for Africa focus, Nelson said the NGO uses a unique  approach  which starts by creating awareness about the issue of focus and engaging  the common people who daily experience the social burden brought upon them by corruption and neglect in government.

    Nelson, who encouraged interested youths to register on the ‘social benefit’ page of the foundation’s website, bemoan the fact  corruption in Nigeria’s institution of higher learning, saying it  hinders collaboration with schools in the scheme of awarding scholarship to indigent student which the organisation is set to pursue.

    However, he said the only areas the NGO  would partner with colleges is to verify student status and GPA as this would be some of the yardsticks used in measuring eligibility for the scholarship.

    On the research the organisation has been involved with, the University of Texas trained strategic analyst said, the research conducted  on the Nigerian education system gives strong indication that  government is not serious about bringing the  educational standards to meet up with that of developed countries.

    “In a recent video I mentioned that the Ministry of education has had 8 Ministers in six years. The spate of incessant strikes without payment of damages to students whose time is wasted is appalling”, he lamented.

    He added that the organisation is embarking on two projects namely “How Effective is Buhari Campaign”, the essence of which is to keep a close watch on government activities that negate the expectations of the people.

    “We offer a three-month measurement of the effectiveness of all levels of government. And our facts are based on submissions of common people. This helps us achieve validity in the eyes of our publics,” Nelson said.

    The other project is “End of Sexual Harassment and Bribery in Nigerian Colleges” campaign, which comprise online meeting and events, which helps participants to break geographical barriers.

    On the sustainability plan for the Dream  project for Africa, Nelson disclosed that over  N2.5 million has been invested  already. “The money invested so far has been privately raised from personal savings of less than 5 individuals who believe in a great Nigeria, but we have begun to reach out for public support from organizations and good hearted Nigerians. We are seeking cash donations from individuals both locally and in the international community to help sustain our projects”.

    He however, added that in its drive to raise funds, the organization is careful not to be lured into groups or interests that might want to taint their goals.  “We have launched a “Go Fund Me” campaign for our “End of Sexual Harassment and Bribery” project and we’re getting some responses; however, we are nowhere close to the $100,000 target for the project. We still need a lot of support.

    We understand that it takes a great deal of trust for people to donate to such causes such as as this especially at a time when there are lots of organizations defrauding good-hearted people by luring them to insincere projects. Dream Project for Africa however believes in the goodness of humanity and the assurance that God Almighty who has put such noble cause in the hearts of a group of men and women to restore the glory of Nigeria would as well have provisions in place to sustain the project,”,”Nelson said.

  • Don’t sell your equipment – Agagu wife to Physically challenged

    The Wife to the former Governor Ondo State, Mrs. Olufunke Agagu has expressed concerned over the rates at which physical challenged people sell their empowerment tools for instant money gains.
    Mrs. Agagu stated this at the Handicapped Education Foundation (HANDEF) 10th empowerment programme held in Akure, the State Capital.
    She noted that rather than establishing themselves after receiving the equipment free of charge, some of them preferred to sell the goods and later return to the street as beggars.
    In the event this year, the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), owned by the former first lady graduated 17 disables trained in various fields.
    The NGO, which had been existing for the past 12 years ago, trained the less-priviledged in knitting, ICT and bead making.
    The graduands were also empowered with various equipment that would enable them establish themselves.
    Agagu urged parents of the disables to co-operate with the foundation in order to ensure that the beneficiaries do not sell their tools again.
    She recalled that since 2008 till date, the foundation has graduated 56 people in ICT, 29 in fashion designing, hat  making, knitting and bead making and also given tools of their trades to free of charge.
    The former first lady said “I am proud to say that some of our products even own two or three cafes.
    “However, it has come to our knowledge that some of our graduates sell their tools of empowerment programmes.
    “Please note that the essence of training and empowering you is for you to have a means of livelihood so that you can be self sufficient ultimately not the immediate monetary gains. We plead with parents to co-operate with us in this regard.
    “HANDEF has continue to partner with various organisation’s locally and internationally to bring awareness to the plight of people with disability.we encourage them to be their own men and women by organizing seminars and workshops on different aspect of life from health issues to business and entrepreneurship”.
    She also lamented over the poor usage of the Library constructed in the HANDEF Centre, saying the foundation is making effort to partner with some tertiary institutions in the south west to see how it can be reverse.
    Agagu, however  people with different disabilities are part and parcel of our society and they deserve recognition and pride of place not pity or discrimination.

  • Council, NGO empower women, youths though skill acquisition

    In a bid to check the rate of restiveness in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, the chairman of the area, Mrs Rita Agbo Ayim has entered a partnership with a non-governmental organization (NGO), CUSO International to train youths and women on entrepreneunership.

    The beneficiaries are to specialize on poultry farming, goat raising, fish farming among others.

    Ayim said the move is to make them self-employed, to contribute positively to the development of the economy of the area.

    The Council Chairman who signed an MOU with the organization in Ogoja said about 400 youths and women would benefit from the job-creating endeavor.

    Speaking at the signing of the MOU at the Council Hall, the Chairman adviced the beneficiaries to take the programme seriously in order to help reduce restiveness among themselves and to create job for others.

    Her words, “I am charging the participants and the beneficiaries to put more effort in the programme so they can become employers of labour, and to make sure the essence of the programme is not being defeated.”

    Ayim lauded the CUSO International team that came for the exercise and assured them of her readiness to do everything possible for the programme to succeed.

    Project Director of CUSO, Mr. Chris Braeuel also charged the beneficiaries to take the opportunity given to them in order to create jobs for others and themselves.

  • NGO seeks healthy living, good governance

    NGO seeks healthy living, good governance

    A non-governmental organisation, Human Concern Foundation International (HCFI) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to run a service-oriented administration.

    The group made the call in Lagos last Saturday when it held a street walk tagged: “Walk for Life, Peace and Good Governance,” in conjunction with the Centre for Global Peace Initiative (CGPI) and Globacom Communications.

    The walk, which covered about 10 kilometres, took off from Jibowu, Yaba on Lagos Mainland, through Maryland and back to Jibowu.

    HCFI Executive Director, Dr Ibrahim Oreagba said researches had shown that when you walk on a regular basis, it reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and hypertension.

    “Walking should be on a daily basis; sometimes you can walk from a particular point to the other rather than taking public transport or taking our vehicles. We should be familiar with it on a daily basis. We are also doing this to encourage the present government to practise good governance,” Oreagba of the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said.

    According to him, the walk is one of the annual programmes of the foundation meant to ensure that Nigerians are fit – physically, mentally and emotionally.

    Oreagba, also a Senior Research Fellow/Consultant and Coordinator, Pharmaco-vigilance in South West, said his group had been providing limited services in the area of health enlightenment campaign and medical counselling at the grassroots where medical facilities are grossly absent or inadequate.

    He said: “Our main objectives of HCFI are to improve the health status of Nigerians and equally to positively change the attitudes and practices of community residents with respect to sound health and hygiene.

    “HCFI has, through the support of Nigerian pharmaceutical companies and corporate organisations, organised health programmes in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Niger and Kwara states. We have also been to Abuja and the Republic of Benin.”

    He added that if people could be doing that on their own twice or thrice a week, they would be fit physically and emotionally and guard against heart-related diseases.

    He said: “If you look at the world today, many people are suffering from heart-related diseases, and obesity among others, which are actually avoidable. One of the ways we can avoid heart-related diseases is to cultivate the culture of walking; not really jogging at this stage of our life. When we must walk, we will sweat and burn energies that are not useful, by so doing we will be physically and mentally fit.”

    A senior lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr Luqman AbdurRaheem, enjoined President Buhari to learn from the past mistakes and appoint like-minded Nigerians who are ready to work for development of the country. He hailed HCFI for trying to keep Nigerians fit.

    The Executive Director, Zakat and Sadakat Foundation, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, urged Nigerians to be patient and support the present administration for good governance.

    Imam Abdullahi said Nigerians look forward to enjoying good dividends of democracy.

    “There are a lot of leakages in Nigeria’s democratic experience in the last sixteen years and we are hoping that with this new dawn that we have witnessed last Friday, a new chapter would be opened in the Nigerian democratic experience for us as Nigerians to benefit from them,” he said.

  • NGO promotes science education

    The dwindling interest of secondary pupils in science and technology-based courses has elicited the intervention of a Non- Profit Organisation called Popularisation of Emerging Science and Technology (PEST).

    Led by Mrs Aderonke Obafaye, the Executive Director, and four others, the association has a vision to expose pupils to the latest discoveries in science and technology and motivate them to pursue careers in related fields.

    Their efforts have started to elicit interest in three years as the group has reached out to Capital Science School, Kuje, and New Hope International Secondary School, both in Abuja, as well as Model Secondary School, Akure, and  King’s College, Lagos.

    The PEST executives also visited Faith Academy, Canaanland, Ota, in Ogun State penultimate week, in the company of some space scientists to shed more light on space science.

    Speaking on the group’s activities, Mrs Obafaye underscored the need to build local scientific capacity of Nigerians. She said for some four decades, Nigeria has produced high calibre scientists that are making their marks in the western world. She lamented that some of their research findings were not popularised enough to gain the global acceptance they deserve.

    Mrs Obafaye said PEST hoped to reverse this trend by encouraging young ones in secondary schools to appreciate the wonders of science and nature.

    World-renowned space weather scientists who visited Faith Academy included: Prof Christine Amory-Mazaudier of Space Physics, Universite’Pierre in France; the Director/Chief Executive, Centre for Atmospheric Research, Prof Babatunde Rabiu, and award-winner in Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Dr.Rabia Salihu Sa’id of Bayero University, Kano.

    Mrs Obafaye said their visit helped the students to gain relevant information on some advances in Space Research over the last decade.

    “Now, they are better informed about our Planet Earth, its magnetic fields and the Aurora particles with their brilliant colours. They are  better informed about the planets Mars and Jupiter and why Pluto is no more considered a planet because of its small size,” she said.

  • NGO calls for promotion of Nigeria’s culture, language

    Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Teenz Global Foundation, has called for the promotion of Nigeria’s culture and language.

    TGF’s founder, Ijeoma Idika –Chima, spoke at a one – day competition organised for students in various schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to mark the United Nations World Cultural Day.

    The theme for this year’s programme was ‘Understanding cultural diversities.’

    According to Ms Idika-Chima, Nigeria’s culture is gradually dying, adding that there is need to teach Nigeria’s culture to students in both primary and secondary schools.

    She said: “This is aimed at promoting peace, social integration, indigenous languages and intercultural dialogue among young people within our society.

    “One major aspect that we are also promoting is indigenous language. If you look at our society, our culture is gradually dying especially with this generation of this day.

    “We should accept that we are diverse in culture and have unique strength.

  • NGO calls for entries

    NGO calls for entries

    Teaching Visual Art, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called for entries from art teachers for this year’s virtual art exhibition in commemoration of  UNESCO International Arts Education week.

    It is an online art exhibition for   art teachers to further create awareness for art education and art appreciation with the theme Art education for sustainable development.

    Entry format includes a digital image of art works (painting, sculpture, metal works, ceramics to be sent via email with the following information, art teachers’ name, name of school, title of work, media, contacts and short description of work.

    Entries should be submitted by email to: teachingvisualart@gmail.com. The deadline  is  Friday,  May 22. Online exhibition date/platform is between Monday, May 25 and  31 May on www.teachingvisualart. blogspot.com.

    Teaching Visual Art is a creative social enterprise that provides diverse platforms for promoting, encouraging artistic engagements and to increase the community’s awareness on the importance of arts education. It is a strong advocate of art as a means of unlocking innovation and creativity, and dedicated to serve children from various backgrounds and culture.

  • NGO trains FCT women on ICT

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) High Tech Centre for Women and Youths in partnership with Nigeria Technological Development Agency (NITDA) has trained selected women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Information Communication Technology (ICT).

    The training which was co-sponsored by CITEX And National Library of Nigeria (NLN) was organised for women leaders in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as opinion makers in the local councils, who are capable of influencing changes in their environments.

    The women were enlightened on coding techniques application development, business and enterprise developments in Information communication technology, empowerment,  skills and maintenance computer system among others.

    Speaking during the workshop, President of the NGO, Dr. Wunmi Hassan explained roles of women in national development.

    She said it was important to train women on ICT and empowerment, which according to her was capable of developing the society.

    Hassan encouraged the participants to think and act like entrepreneurs. She urged them to take advantage of little business opportunities and transform their livelihood.

    The NGO is engaged in training, capacity building and empowerment.

    “We are looking at change makers and people that can influence decisions. We want women who through their position can influence other women and their environment through empowerment.

    “We want to ensure that the library is well utilised by women ýto drive a change and do much more than reading.”

    “We say Nigerian need a change but the change will start with women. It is the women that will contribute more to moulding thýe society,” she added.

    In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Alhaji Mallam Jato described the workshop as timely.

    The CEO urged the present administration to focus more on education, adding that if government could get a grip of the sector, it will hasten national growth.

    Jato, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Virtual Library Services Department, NLN, Mrs. Oluchi Kalu complained over situation where majority in the country cannot read or write which, according to her has slowed down development of the nation.

    She said: “When you talk of digital divide that is what Nigeria is actually going through. ICT is in vogue and Nigeria is behind. A situation where many people are not computer literate, they cannot even read or write and this is what one third of our population is suffering from.”

    However, she expressed optimism the training would positively influence the participants.