USAID Winds Up Five Year Support Activity for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Oru Leonard

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will hold  closing ceremony of the Sustainable Mechanisms for Improving Livelihoods and Household Empowerment (SMILE) activity today Wednesday November 28, 2018.

The programme was funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). SMILE has supported services for orphans and vulnerable children in 47 local government areas across six states and improved the wellbeing of 500,000 vulnerable children and 125,000 of their care givers since 2013.

SMILE provided grants to civil society organizations under a consortium led by Catholic Relief Services.

The event will be attended by  Mrs. Ifeoma Anagbogu, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development and Ms. Zohra Balsara, Director of the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis control. Also Expected  are activity beneficiaries with compelling stories to tell at the event.