By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, – The Halima Initiative for Women Development (HIWD), an NGO, has donated learning materials to over 1000 school children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp at Durumi in the FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the learning materials comprised of pack of exercise books, school bags, mathematical sets and some edibles.
Distributing the items at the FCT IDPs Camp on Sunday, HIWD Chief Executive, Hajiya Halima Bello, said that the NGO realized that children in the camp lacked adequate learning materials while many packed their books to school in plastic bags.
The NGO founder said she felt fulfilled that she was able to contribute her quota to the children’s development as part of her goal to touch lives.
Bello noted that there was the need for collective action from all Nigerians to contribute to the improvement of lives of displaced persons in the country, saying government alone could not do it.
“I can say government is trying on its part to improve lives of displaced persons, but everyone of us should do the little we can to improve their lives.
“I am happy that this is not a one time thing, not for the thrill of it, I am in it for life, and this is from personal efforts.
“Hopefully in subsequent ones, I can get funding from families, friends, and organisations that share the same passion,” Hajiya Bello said.
Speaking during the event, Ms. Adaobi Uyanwune, a Volunteer from Initiative for Food Environment and Health Society, expressed optimism that other stakeholders would do more in touching lives of disadvantaged persons in the country.
“We have always wanted to come share time and encourage them. We are very grateful to God that we’re putting smiles on their faces, we could feel the joy and the positive energy around them, it is infectious.
“We need to understand that we all are government, it is them today, it could be another person tomorrow, we all are government, we should all play our parts to help give succor to displaced persons,” Uyanwune said.
Liyatu Ayuba, Woman Leader from Gwoza, Borno State, also expressed joy at the support from the NGO, urging relevant authorities to show a little more concern about the welfare and survival of IDPs.
She said that government alone could not adequately meet the needs of over 3,000 IDPs in the FCT Camp and commended religious groups for their support and skills acquisition training.
Ayuba called for the construction of perimeter fences to ward off intruders from the camp following reports of attempts of kidnappings on the facility.
NAN reports that the IDPs Camp at Durumi in FCT, with a population of 3,000, was established in 2014 following the impact of insurgency in the North East.
