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Tag: NGO

  • NGO, others donate to babies, charity homes

    NGO, others donate to babies, charity homes

    As part of its annual activities towards people’s well-being, Citinet Group a non-governmental organisation (NGO) recently visited some general hospitals and charity homes in Lagos State to donate some items to new born babies and the less-privileged.

    This gesture, which the NGO said was part of its commitments to ensuring that the welfare of the under-privileged people in the society is catered for was in collaboration with the member representing Ajeromi/Ifelodun II State Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdul Baq Ladi Balogun and Chairman, Surulere Local Government Area Hon. Tajudeen Ajide.

    A statement by the co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Ola Akintonwa said the gesture was not only to give thanks to Almighty God, but also to mark the beginning of the New Year.

    Some of the hospitals and homes visited included Island Maternity, Lagos Island, Heart of Gold Huspices, Surulere and Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, Lagos.

    Making the donation, Hon. Abdul Baq Ladi Balogun noted that he decided to find time out of his busy schedules to spend some quality time with the widows, saying that their pitiable situation demands that they be taken care of since their husbands who used to take care of them and their children were no more.

    He expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for the opportunity to touch lives, even as he said: “We are elected to serve the people and make life better for them people. I will not shirk away from that responsibility, especially to members of my constituency. By the grace of Allah, I promise to be of great assistance to the less-privileged ones in our midst”.

    He added that the gesture was part of the ways he extends the dividends of democracy to members of his constituency in accordance to their changing needs.

    “The purpose of this initiative is to drum up recognition and support for the widows and orphans in our society. It is part of my social responsibilities to my people. The prime feature of today’s event was the distribution of welfare packages to widows and other less-privileged individuals in our society,” Hon. Balogun said.

    Noting that the issue of social security which is a programme that provides social protection or protection against socially recognised conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others is alien to this part of the world, Hon. Balogun said, “it was time our society began taking care of the less-privileged.

    “We decided to provide this little assistance to some of these poor because some of them are no longer able to meet their basic needs such as food, clothing, access to free healthcare and other needs, due to poverty or lack of income because of unemployment, sickness, disability, or lack of energy to engage in one form of income generating venture or the other,” he stated.

    The chairman of Surulere Local Government Area, Comrade Tajudeen Ajide was grateful to God for making Nigerians see another year, even as he urged the people to imbibe the spirit of oneness. He prayed for peaceful co-existence among the people of Surulere and wisdom for the leaders.

    Receiving the donations on behalf of Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity, Mrs Mojisola and Chief Matron K. O. Akinyemi respectively thanked Citinet Group, Hon. Balogun and Hon. Ajide for the gesture. They prayed that Almighty God would strengthen and give them long and healthy life to continue in their charity works.

    Several infant formulae, packs of pamper and rolls of children’s lotions were among the items donated to the babies.

  • Budgetary allocation to agriculture woeful, says Actionaid

    Budgetary allocation to agriculture woeful, says Actionaid

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Actionaid Nigeria has called for more budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector, to ensure food security in the country.

    Its Country Director, Dr Hussaini Abdu, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

    Abdu said in the last five years, only 3.5 per cent of the national budget had been allocated to agriculture annually.

    He noted that the Federal Government had increased attention to agriculture in recent years with the introduction of policies to boost productivity but that budgetary allocation and spending on the sector had remained woeful.

    “Nigeria’s budgetary allocation and actual spending on agriculture are woefully inadequate to reduce poverty, especially on the key services needed by smallholder farmers.

    “Nigeria spends little on agriculture, a sector that is a major branch of the economy, which provides employment for 70 per cent of the population.”

    According to him, the agriculture sector is the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing about 40 per cent “yet it faces massive challenges”.

    The NGO’s director stressed that the government was neglecting smallholder farmers, particularly women, who constitute the majority of that category of farmers in the country.

    He blamed the widespread poverty in the country on the failure of successive governments to fund agriculture appropriately.

    He faulted the government‘s recent drive towards private sector investment focusing on commercial agriculture, saying it was unrealistic and would further increase poverty.

    According to him, smallholder farmers, who are not being encouraged in the process, produce 90 per cent of Nigeria’s food.

    Abdu claimed that most poverty alleviation policies in the country lacked special provisions for women, especially those involved in agriculture.

    He said only fractions of the agricultural research budgets were targeted at women.

    “Although the government has a number of schemes that promote credit, none as far as we are aware, specifically target women farmers.’’

    He advised that government should increase agricultural spending and reduce “leakages and corruption, and provide appropriate training as well as access to finance for smallholder women farmers”.

     

  • NGO lifts 500 widows in Rivers

    NGO lifts 500 widows in Rivers

    The Alice Worluh Widows Foundation (AWWF) has empowered widows in Rundele community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. The programme is part of its grassroots widows’ empowerment scheme designed to put smiles back on the faces of the widows in rural communities.

    Grants worth N5 million were disbursed to the beneficiaries at a ceremony held at the St. John Anglican Church.

    The event started with opening prayer followed by praise and worship by the widows who were selected from various churches in the community.

    Prayers were also said for the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and the organiser, Sir. Lucky Worluh.

    Worluh said he established the widows’ foundation out of the love he has for his late widow mother.

    The widows said they benefited more than they expected this year unlike other years, some of the items given to them include wrappers, rice, cash and free medical check-up and distribution of drugs to widows based on the doctor’s recommendation.

    Beneficiaries, who spoke to Niger Delta Report at the event, expressed relief over what they described as “God sent” gesture to put smiles on their faces and they promised to always pray for the progress of foundation and the initiator.

    Helen Chimara, one of the widows who benefited from the programme, thanked Worluh for initiating the idea to improve the well-being of widows in the community.

    “For doing this to me, I am wishing him long life, open doors and prosperity, he is not a millionaire, even if he is, he is not the first person in Ikwerre and Emohua that has made money, yet from the little he has he decided to remember us. I know that God will not disappoint him,” she prayed.

    Patience Isaac, another widow, said she had been looking for an opportunity to undergo eye check-up but had nobody to assist her. She noted that when the opportunity came through the Alice Worluh Widow Foundation she prayed to God for her name to be listed through her church.

    “The only way you can be part of this programme is that your pastor will submit your name, so I was happy when I was told that my name made the list this year. I have been looking for this opportunity to check my eye problem I have no husband or anybody that can foot my bill if I decide to go to eye clinic but this foundation has offered it free, I am so happy for this gesture.”

    Worluh said the foundation was established out of the love he has for his late mother

    “My mother was a widow; we lost her at the time when we were young. When I said she was a widow she is indeed a widow. We at Rundele we are predominately farmer, so the garri to eat have to come from Elele where she farmed.

    “When she retired as a teacher she suffered so much to take care of us. But when it is her time to enjoy what she has suffered she died. So it was so painful and my mother loves me so much, she took the responsibility of giving me the right sense to become what I am today. I remember she always tell me, ‘if not because of you I would have gone back to my father’s house’. This is because I came from a polygamous family. Of course, polygamous family is not the best form of family.”

    “What we are doing here today is another way to continue the love I had for my mother. I thought the only way to immortalize her is to set up a widow foundation that will honour, respect and empower widows, especially those in the rural communities.

    “It is another way of re-shaping the attitude and understanding of widows in the rural community some of them before now worship idol or engaging in other form of idol worshiping but since I made it compulsory that those who will benefit from the foundation must come from the list of their pastors and must be widows who are God fearing and committed to things of God.

    He continued: “Another reason for the foundation is to lay a legacy so that the younger ones who are coming up can learn from it. The only thing that sustains in this foundation is God; I have never stolen to fund this programme but what I do is that every month I try as much as possible to save from my little salary to ensure that the programme continued.”

    The wife of the organiser, Lady Queenth Worluh, was at the event to assist her husband, said God has been the source of their strength to sustain it in the past four years.

    “I know how much my husband spend every year to ensure that this programme continues. I will advise the beneficiary to always utilise every given opportunity offered to them.”

    Guests at the event commended the foundation.

    Dr Sampson Agbaru, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said Worluh’s foundation would improve the living standard of widows in the community and the state at large. “Alice Worluh Widows Foundation is to enable beneficiaries to grow in living standard, to improve the health of their families, and enhance the economic standard of their households and communities.”

     

     

  • NGO lifts women group in Ondo

    NGO lifts women group in Ondo

    Better days are ahead for womenfolk in Ondo State as a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Nigeria Women Empowerment and Poverty Eradication Initiative (NIWEPEI) has empowered women groups in the state with the disbursement of a loan totaling N17.5 million.

    NIWEPEI is an organisation dedicated to assisting women groups in the country in the area of self-reliance, economic integration, cooperation and growth.

    At the ceremony, the group’s coordinator, Olasupo Olakunori said the NGO has taken it as a responsibility to partner with Nigerian women particularly in Ondo State in the area of economic empowerment for poverty eradication and self-reliance.

    He said the decision to collaborate has yielded a fruitful result with the disbursement of the fund.

    Besides, he said the Ondo State Cooperative Women Alliance (ONCOWA) has disbursed about N13 million to about 60 women groups in Akure.

    He commended some beneficiaries of the phase one of the programme for their impressive performance on a similar loan disbursed on September 14 this year. The Coordinator also commended the Oredegbe Micro-finance Bank for assisting in creation of jobs, small scale business and development of human resources.

    Olakunori thanked the state president of NIWEPEI, Mrs. Bosede Oyewole and the government for providing enabling environment for the project to succeed.

    He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to allow the office of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) to oversee NGOs across the country.

     

  • NGO seeks better heath care

    O non-governmental organisation known as Kapital Merit Club in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has called for policy that will further strengthen access to qualitative health care in rural areas.

    President of the organisation, Mr Yinka Adewale made the call while speaking on improving the health of Nigerians at a Health Talk event to mark this year’s anniversary of the organisation in Gwagwalada area council in the FCT.

    Adewale noted that for the nation to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adequate attention must be given to the health needs of people living in rural communities.

    According to him, the health talk was organised to sensitise the public on basic health related requirements, like regular medical check up and environmental cleanliness among others.

    He advised participants to always keep their surroundings clean and shun acts detrimental to their health condition, thereby stressed the need for corporate bodies and organizations to always compliment the efforts of government in the area of health.

  • Group donates HIV equipment

    Group donates HIV equipment

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN), yesterday donated equipment for tests and examination of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired (HIV/AIDS) to the Oyo State Ministry of Health.

    Some of the equipment included CD4 count machines, chemistry analyser, Sport Utility Vehicle, office furniture, work stations, and other laboratory facilities.

    APIN’s Oyo State Team Leader Ladi Akinyemi said AIDS was challenging the existence of people and the development of Africa, adding that the donation was aimed at complementing the government’s effort at reducing HIV.

    He said the prevalence scale of HIV/AIDS in Oyo State is three per cent, an estimation of seven million.

    “We are doing this to reach people in the suburbs; this is to scale up HIV services in communities. We have trained community based health workers for the prevention of AIDS and also 500 health workers have been trained,” Akinyemi said.

    According to him, part of the challenges confronting the organisation includes lack of adequate human resources to manage facilities and infrastructural challenges.

    The APIN Oyo State team leader urged governments to equip young people with appropriate knowledge and support to live safe life and be able to manage HIV/AIDS.

    Commissioner for Health Muyiwa Gbadegesin lauded APIN for its achievement in combating AIDS.

  • NGO decries poor educational facilities for children

    The Isaac Moghalu Foundation has decried the poor standard of educational facilities in schools, which makes it impossible for children to learn.

    They said that so many children in poor communities learn under trees or uncompleted buildings, while so many people can afford to elevate their problems but instead wait for the government.

    The Executive Director of the Isaac Moghalu foundation and wife of the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Maryanne Moghalu made the statement in Abuja, at the commissioning of new classroom blocks donated by the NGO (Non- Governmental Organisation) to LEA primary school, Gishiri.

    She said, “We came here to bridge the gap that can be found in our educational system, in the aspect of the private and public schools, although it is the role of the government to provide such, we as citizens should not just fold our hands and watch because they are our children and someone has to do something.

    “We have provided them with a block of three classrooms, renovated their administrative block and included a library and also given them a new borehole and rehabilitated their water system because formally they did not have drinking water.”

    Mrs Moghalu explained that the foundation which is basically family sponsored also gives out full scholarships to students from secondary school all through the University and so far, they have sponsored about eight students nationwide and by September intend to begin taking 20 people every year to provide scholarships. It is also an educational institutional programme where they renovate and equip schools, just like they did in Gishiri.

    She explained that the foundation which is a legacy of her father-in-law who was very passionate about education, partnered with Regent schools in Abuja to provide books for the library. She said that the Regent school will sustain the program after the foundation leaves and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LEA to continue the program, whereby every child in the school will each donate a book to the Gishiri library on their birthdays for as many years as possible.

    A school teacher with Regent school, in charge of the project stated that, “We use the opportunity to make our children who are use to some luxury things in life and air conditioned classes understand that there are children in other places in need and how lovely it will be to help them.

    “We will make our children not only contribute to the library but those in class five will come here from time to time to assist the children here read and maintain the library and on some occasions, we will invite the children to our schools for a picnic or something so they can interact with the children in our school also.”

    Other items donated to the school were, cloths, shoes, toys, food items and toiletries.

  • Aspiring actress betrayed by mentor

    Aspiring actress betrayed by mentor

    THIS is the case of a male Nigerian artiste was asked to help mentor a young aspiring actress, but who ended up having forceful sexual intercourse with her. This is the victim’s story as narrated to the reporter. “I studied Theatre Arts. After I completed my university education, my aunt introduced me to a set of identical twins. They are both men and run an NGO which brings twins, triples and such sets of children from all over the world to attend their annual event in Nigeria. Because of that, these twins are well networked. So, they promised to get me connected to one or two actors. Before long, I was taken to meet this particular artiste. You know, the excitement of meeting someone you’ve always seen on TV was so overwhelming. Anyway, to shorten the lengthy story I met him. He introduced me to others. He took me along to about three auditios; though, I did not take part in any, but I was thrilled nonetheless.

    “However, I was always with him as his protégé most of the times except on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He introduced me to people as his ‘kid sister’ who wants to become like him. It was all fun. At the end of each meeting, I returned to my parents’ home in Abesan, Ipaja, Lagos. A few times, my dad had called to thank him for his efforts on my life. So, I never had any reason to be afraid of being with him.

    “Then, one Friday, we were in his home office, and he said, we had nowhere to go but that he will give me some materials to study. His wife had gone out. Some guests came around and left. It’s not that we were all totally alone. In fact, that will not be the first time I would be with him in such a setting.

    “At some point, he called to ask what I was doing; I told him I was reading the book he asked me to. He then said I should go back to the table. Few minutes later, he called me back and started telling that I was a very pretty and irresistible girl. I was flush with shyness. And before I could talk he started touching and caressing me. I tried to pull back as I asked him “But uncle, why are you doing this?”

    “He just dragged me close to himself, pulled me closer and forced his lips on me. I tried to push him back, but he was too strong for me. He held me so tight I was in tears within a few minutes. The only person that could help me was the gateman downstairs. But I didn’t know if he could hear me.

    “Everything lasted less than ten minutes or so. I was in tears. I felt as if the whole world had crashed in on me. As I got downstairs looking ruffled, it was as if the gateman guessed what had transpired from the way he stared at me. On getting home, I told my parents, who told the twins, and then, we were brought to you (the reporter).”

  • ‘Bini language faces extinction’

    THE Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, yesterday said Bini language might become extinct if steps were not taken to keep it alive.

    Edebiri, the ‘Oracle’ of the Benin kingdom, said to prevent the language from becoming extinct, the Benin Forum, an umbrella body of Benin people, scheduled a summit for next month to address the problem.

    He spoke yesterday during a news conference announcing the presentation of his book, A Compendium of some memorable statements, slated for launch on Saturday in Benin City.

    Edebiri said the book would give historical background about the first storey building in Benin kingdom and other historical sites.

    He added that the proceeds from the book presentation would be used to set up a non- government organisation (NGO), which would be called ‘A Clinic For the Bini Historical Development’.

    According to him, the NGO would sustain the language and history of Benin kingdom.

    Edebiri said: “It is sad that we don’t have a Professor of History in Benin kingdom, but we have many in Yoruba land. The only Professor of History we have is Prof. Igbafe from Edo North. My mentor, the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, stressed the need to maintain our language and culture until he died. This is why I have taken steps to achieve that.

    “If we are not careful, Bini language may become extinct. This why we are making efforts to ensure that we solve the problem. That was why I put together most of my speeches, which later became prophetic, into books so that our children can benefit from them in future.”

  • NGO trains pupils on food production

    NGO trains pupils on food production

    Oxfam, through its global campaign Grow, Think, Act, has urged secondary school pupils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to embrace farming in order to eradicate hunger and poverty.

    The international non-governmental organisation (NGO) also educated the students of Government Junior Secondary School Kubwa on the importance of nutrition and good feeding.

    Earlier, art exhibition was held by the secondary school students within the FCT.

    The initiative was launched in the country on June, 2011 to promote campaign against hunger.

    Speaking at the event shortly after the talk show, Gender Officer, Oxfam Nigeria, Mr. Boyowa Roberts said the talk show was meant to enlighten youths on ways to fight poverty and eradicate hunger from the country.

    Roberts said: “Today, we are having what we call the grow talk show where we would be working hand-in-hand with three government schools.

    “The essence of this school talk show is to work with young people to raise school heroes. We are going to be working with our partners like association of agro producers in Nigeria to teach the children these farming practices and how to use fertilisers.

    “The whole essence is to encourage youths to take to agriculture and tell them that farming has gone beyond farming with hoes and cutlasses to mechanised farming. Apart from the oil sector, you can make a lot of money and secure your livelihood.”

    The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala observed the quantity of food imported into the country has continued to dwindle on an annual basis.

    Okonjo-Iweala said efforts by local farmers were yielding meaningful results as most foods consumed in the country were locally produced.

    “Nigeria is trying and one way to measure that in economics is to look at the amount of food imports over the years.

    “The statistics we have shows that food import is going down and this means that domestically, Nigeria is trying to cover up most of the imported foods. This therefore points to the fact that we are doing more in terms of food security,” she said.

    The minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant, Dr. Emmanuel Nwosu said the country had intensified efforts to achieve food security.

    She further said it was imperative to educate school children on the importance of food security so that when they grow, they can develop interest in food production.

    “This is because, in Africa and most developing world, we have malnutrition problems and one of the MDG goals is to fight hunger and provide food for the population,” she added.

    However, she observed the challenge in Africa had a lot to do with its growing population, adding that this often leads to food security problems.

    She said the programme was important as it would help inculcate the right ideas in youths to help combat problems of food security.

    “There is a lot of work because most people in Nigeria are running away from agriculture. They think that it is just for the old. But when agriculture is taken seriously, we will achieve better results,” she said.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Speakers’ Corner Trust Nigeria, Ramatu Umar restated that the show was organised to help youth acquire necessary skills to empower themselves.

    “We also educate them on nutrition, feeding and eating good food. We want young people to grow, think and act in agriculture process,” she added.