NGO launches empowerment of over 1,000 IDPs in Katsina
Abbas Bamalli
A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), ‘Heal, Nourish and Empower’, has launched a special humanitarian intervention for over 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Katsina State.
Speaking during the launching on Friday in Katsina, the convener of the project, Hajia Fatima Mamman-Daura said the foundation has previously supported over 1,000 IDPs in the state.
She explained that, “The project is not just about providing empowerment items, it’s more of holistic intervention to address psychological, mental and physical trauma of the IDPs.
“There is a component which the project funded at the Federal Medical Centre Katsina, as I mentioned earlier, about 175 persons have benefited from surgical interventions.
“They have been managed, gunshots injuries were treated and the like. We are going to psychosocial support and mental healthcare.
“In the area of school enrolment, we have started with about 30, and we are going to expand to IDPs children that are completely non-literate, for them to be able to reach basic skill before they are enrolled into conventional schools.”
According to Mamman-Daura, the nutritional component of the project focused on the treatment of severe and acute malnutrition and providing some food support items as well.
“And the empowerment component that entails skills and vocational training and other small trades, some of them will receive generators, deep freezers, grinding and sewing machines.” She revealed.
She added that they will continue to synergize with relevant key players to also provide similar support to other states that have a significant number of IDPs.
Mamman-Daura said herself and other partners formed an alliance and secured funding from the office of the Senate President through the National productivity Center to heal, nourish and empower the IDPs.
According to her, Katsina has the highest number of IDPs in the North West, hence the need to address the physical and psychological trauma of the IDPs and enroll their children in schools.
The state’s Commissioner of sports, youth and social development, Alhaji Sani Dallami said the their government will continue to render humanitarian services to people affected by banditry in the state.
Danlami who represented Gov. Aminu Masari while reiterating the government effort in that aspect, expressed gratitude for the intervention aimed to touch the lives of IDPs in the state.
In a paper presentation, a University don, Dr Muttaqa Rabe-Darma pledged to partner the project in the component of offering skills development to IDPs in the state.
In their separate goodwill messages,
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Haruna Rigoji and Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko-Radda commended the gesture. NAN
