By JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Civitas Auxillium Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on supporting vulnerable persons who are victims of conflicts and war, has donated desks, chairs notebooks and text books to over 800 pupils living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in WASSA, Abuja.
It has also commenced the process of training women at the camp with the aim of empowering them.
According to Elizabeth Duile, Chief Operation Officer of the foundation, about six primary schools, namely, Moving star Academy, Tanzak Best Academy, Seat of Wisdom Academy, ECWA Zion Academy, Deseret Preston Academy and Well Bred Academy with over 900 pupils were direct beneficiaries of the programme.
“We have so far, given over 2,000 exercise books, 30 textbooks, kits which consist of pencils, erasers and pens were distributed to more than 300 pupils of five primary schools .
“The coming days, we shall also be reaching out to more pupils and students,” the Chief Operation Officer said .
Elizabeth Duile also said the foundation has provided free skills acquisition training and financial support to over 30 women in 2022, while it is currently training about 70 women at the camp and by the end of the week, these women would be empowered with start-up packs and loans .
“Currently, we are training about 70 women from the WASSA Camp and once their training is over, we shall give them seed loans and other things to enable them to start various businesses .We shall also be monitoring and supervising them so that they can grow in their chosen trade.
“We support women and children, especially those who are victims of violent conflicts and other acts of violence,” she explained.
She revealed that the IDPs who were dislocated from states like Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Niger, Borno and Taraba, are over 5,000 at the WASSA Abuja camp.
Elizabeth Duile who also doubles as the Technical Lead of the foundation, noted that the camp has only two boreholes that caters for the need of over 5,000 persons, while toilets, bathrooms and electricity are lacking in the camp.
“It is when there is peace that development can come to all Nigerians, including the IDPs.
She called on Nigerians to assist IDPs living across camps with proper skills training, “so they would be resettled out the camp and make good living for themselves.
“We are working with other organizations to see how we can improve the lots of the IDPs,” she concluded. 1
