A non-governmental organisation, Nedeevah Foundation, on Saturday reiterated its commitment to ensuring access to quality education, healthcare services, and empowerment programmes for those in need.

 Founder and Executive Director of Nedeevah Foundation, Claire Benson-Idoko, said this in Abuja during the foundation’s 2024 anniversary summit titled, “Transforming Africa’s Future through Health and Education for Children.”

She said the foundation was celebrating four years of advocating the rights of children, health and educational interventions as well as support for community rehabilitation efforts.

Ms Benson-Idoko while reflecting on the anniversary journey, said the foundation was established in 2020 with a mission of transforming the lives of vulnerable and internally displaced children through comprehensive support systems.

She said that the foundation operating primarily in northern Nigeria, has its presence in Abuja, Makurdi, Kaduna, and Jos.

She stated, “At the core of our work lies a deep commitment to compassion and equality. Our dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of these vulnerable children drives us to continually push the boundaries of what is possible. What motivated me to embark on this journey was a strong passion for ensuring impactful change in the lives of underserved populations, especially children and women.

“Those post-pandemic conversations with friends just showed gaping needs around education and healthcare with the most vulnerable children that we could not ignore.’’

Ms Benson-Idoko reiterated the foundation’s commitment to serving humanity and expressed optimism that the foundation would expand its ‘Edu4Changed’ scholarship opportunities to reach more children.

She added that the foundation’s zero malaria programme initiative would also be extended into remote areas and the child protection programmes would be strengthened through collaboration with local authorities.

The Project Coordinator, Jechira Terfa, said by incorporating period care packages in the foundation’s education support, a significant increase in school attendance was witnessed.

Terfa said, “This integrated approach has been important in reducing stigma and enhancing overall student well-being.”

Also, the Head of Operations, Jayden Akale, said, “One of the biggest challenges has been finding consistent funding and resources. However, we have been able to develop a data-driven, community-oriented approach over the years, which have proven to be more feasible to sustain and scale. Its ability to adapt to situations and performances is also one of its major successes.”

The Social Media Manager, Fatu Idoko, said that the foundation had been able to fine-tune their programmes in light of feedback from the communities served.

She said that the foundation adopted flexible learning schedules to accommodate children with health challenges and carried out culturally sensitive awareness campaigns to have community buy-in. (NAN)