By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja – Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN), an NGO, has urged governments at all levels to partner with faith-based institutions to scale up interventions that would impact vulnerable groups in society.
The group’s National Director, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, made the call on Saturday in Abuja during the seven years anniversary celebration of the organisation with the
theme “Loving with Deeds.”
Bassey said partnership would see to the upscale of humanitarian interventions that would impact the most vulnerable groups in the society, regardless of religion, nationality and ethnicity.
He added that “today, we are commemorating seven unwavering years of bringing succor to the poor and venerable members of the society.
“We want government and philanthropists to partner with NGOs, especially
faith-based organisations to root out the fundamental causes of poverty and address them, because government cannot do it alone.
“Caritas Nigeria works to fight hunger, diseases, ignorance and respond to humanitarian crises and emergencies by mobilising resources from within and outside the Church to meet the basic needs of vulnerable persons.
“If we know that we are one human family, it doesn’t matter what religion we belong; we should be able to share the resources we have to support one another.”
Highlighting some of the organisations achievements, he said Caritas Nigeria had provided free HIV and AIDS care and treatment services across 129 faith-based facilities.
He added that “we also intervened in the area of HIV and AIDS through the support of U.S. Government, with over 66,000 persons accessing Anti-retro viral drugs.
`We launched an Emergency Appeal through the support of Caritas International and UNICEF to respond to the needs of people in the North East.
“We also provided food and nutrition to over 1,500 severely malnourished children and women in IDPs camps, provided educational facilities, water, sanitation, hygiene and psycho-social support to people in the North East.”
Dr Lanre Olayiwola, the Treatment Lead, Caritas Nigeria, said the celebration was aimed at appreciating and honouring international, local and individual benefactors who contributed funds over the years for humanitarian services in the country.
Olayiwola added that the event also created platform to raise funds in advancing the course of humanitarian services by meeting the needs of vulnerable persons, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
He urged Nigerians to get involved and contribute to such just course to help alleviate the plight of the poor in communities.
Highlight of the event included awards received by benefactors of Caritas Nigeria such as UNICEF, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Union Bank, among others.
Catholic Caritas Foundation is a socio-development and humanitarian agency established in 2010 to coordinate the social development and humanitarian interventions of Catholic Church in Nigeria. (NAN)