Despite the universal declaration against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a health-risky practice for young girls and its criminalization, professional nurses and traditional birth attendants have been found to still engage in this dangerous practice, as revealed by The Hope investigation.

Equally, commonly referred to as ‘dida abe fun omo obinrin’ or ‘female circumcision,’ we have also discovered that parents and grandparents still request FGM for their newborns in urban and rural areas.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of external female Instruments or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is usually performed on young girls only a few days old. Various reasons underpin the practice of FGM, including cultural and religious beliefs.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM in 31 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. FGM is also prevalent among immigrant populations in other parts of the world. The WHO also estimates that three million girls are at risk of being cut yearly, equating to about 6,000 girls a day.

According to WHO, FGM can cause severe bleeding, infection, and damage to the reproductive system. It can also lead to problems during childbirth, sexual and reproductive health issues, and mental health challenges. FGM is also associated with an increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The practice is often carried out in unhygienic conditions, using unsterilized instruments, which can lead to further health complications.

Nigeria has one of the highest rates of FGM in Africa, affecting an estimated 23 million women and girls. It is more prevalent in the country’s northern and middle belt regions, where it is practised as a cultural and religious tradition. FGM is also linked to other harmful practices, such as child marriage and female seclusion. The Nigerian government has taken steps to eradicate FGM, including passing a law criminalizing the practice.

The WHO identifies several reasons why FGM persists, including cultural and religious beliefs. In some communities, FGM is viewed as a rite of passage into womanhood or a means to ensure a girl’s virginity. It may also be seen as a way to control women’s sexuality or to maintain their purity and chastity. FGM may be perceived as ensuring social acceptance, marriage, or upholding social norms and traditions.

THE LEGAL STATUS OF FGM

FGM is regarded as a violation of human rights. The Nigerian government has criminalized the practice of FGM, and it is punishable by law. The law makes it an offence to perform, aid, or abet FGM, and it also provides for the protection of girls and women who have been subjected to the practice. In addition, several other African countries have also criminalized FGM, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritania, Somalia, and Togo.

The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life in Nigeria. Section 6 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 prohibits Female Genital Mutilation, specifying that: (2) A person who performs female circumcision or genital mutilation or engages another to carry out such circumcision or mutilation commits an offence and is liable to conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding four years or to a fine not exceeding N200,000.00 or both. (3) A person who attempts to carry out the offence of female circumcision or genital mutilation also commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding N100,000.00 or both. (4) A person who incites, aids, or abets or counsels another to commit the offence of female circumcision or mutilation also commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding N100,000.00 or both.


In Ondo State, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) bill was signed into law in 2021. The First Lady, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, believed that the law would protect the girl child and women against all forms of violence, including FGM.

THE TRIGGER

I live in a developing community with the usual communal way of life. A learned neighbour of mine has a child over a year old. We were talking about health communication and FGM. One of the women who came around overheard us and commented, ‘e maa tan ara yin,’ which in Yoruba means ‘keep deceiving yourself.’ When probed, she asked, ‘do you think this can be stopped?’ She went her way afterwards, perhaps to prevent further questioning.

THE DISCOVERY

With this, I decided to probe further. The Hope team interviewed fifty parents who gave birth to female children between 2022 and 2023. Our main questions were whether they cut their female children and who assisted them. Shockingly, of the fifty, 37 of them, representing 74%, admitted cutting their girl child in the last two years, while only 24% said they did not. Of those who did, 29 admitted patronizing Traditional Birth Attendants and midwives at mission houses, while the remaining 8 said they were assisted by nurses (professional and auxiliary). We found that over 60% of those who cut their daughters did so in semi-urban or rural areas.

INVOLVEMENT OF THE TBAS AND MISSION HOUSES

Mrs Adeshile Folashade was delivered of her baby by a TBA. She did female genital mutilation for her daughter because her husband asked the midwives to do it, and the midwives did it for her daughter. She says nowadays, not every parent will do it for their daughters, but in her husband’s house, you must do it for your daughter.

Mrs. Mercy Adegboye was delivered of her daughter by a TBA. She said she agreed to do it for her daughter on the advice of the TBA, who said it would prevent the child from ‘sleeping around with men’ when she is grown. In addition, she admitted that every girl child in her husband’s family must undergo FGM.


Mrs. Rofiat Yusuf gave birth to her daughter at a mission house. She admitted not doing it for the baby because the government forbids parents from doing it. Still, she returned to the mission house to have her daughter cut after a week on the advice that “it is good for every girl child, and boys undergo circumcision too.”

When contacted, the President of Traditional Birth Attendants in Ondo State, Prophetess Ruth Oluwatosin Arisoyin, said they had been warned and trained to desist from the practice. She said she was unaware of her members still engaging in female genital mutilation.

Prophetess Arisoyin told The Hope that her association had put much effort into stopping the practice among the members. She added that the government used to engage them in training and campaign programmes to dissuade people from engaging in the practice.

NURSES ARE NOT LEFT OUT

Mrs Mary Augustine gave birth to her last child, Gift, at a clinic in Ondo town on the 3rd of February 2022. She revealed to The Hope that one of the nurses at the clinic advised her to cut her daughter. She yielded to the nurse’s advice.

“The nursing sister there advised me to do it for her daughter. She said if I did not do it for her, she will not enjoy sex. So, it is better to do it for a female child. That was why I did it for my last girl.”


She was not the only one. Mrs Olalekan said that after she gave birth at the hospital and her request to cut her daughter was turned down, one of the nurses told her not to worry and visited her at home to carry out the cutting on her daughter.

Our findings corroborated a recent report from the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, showing that around one in four girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have undergone FGM (or 52 million) were cut by health personnel. Estimates from demographic and health surveys and multiple indicator cluster surveys also showed that Nigeria is one of the countries where FGM cases (13%) are performed by health workers.

When filing this report, we could not speak with the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka. However, the Chief Nursing Officer at Isinkan Primary Health Care, Mrs. Olayinka Ogunleye, stated that “it (FGM) is against the law. Anybody that is found doing it will be taken to court; there are people sent for that assignment. If they use Agbebi and it is detected, the women’s affairs will charge them to court. In the medical line, it has been wiped off.”


A retired matron, Mrs Abidakun, confirmed that FGM was a practice in hospitals at the time, but with research and modern knowledge, the practice was stopped and declared unhealthy. Hence, laws were made to prevent medical practitioners and others from doing it.


Read the full report here 👇👇👇

https://www.thehopenewspaper.com/unmasking-persistent-female-genital-mutilation-by-nurses-tbas/

Have you ever wondered why ex-inmates return to crime despite passing through correctional homes? I decided to investigate if the correctional facilities are also ‘correct’ for them to correct offenders effectively: it took eight months.

THE DRY WORKSHOP

For Security reason, let me not be too descriptive. Going through the two gates and the corridor that passes through the keeper’s office to the pillar before one turns to the side where the workshop is, the medium-sized workshop, built with bricks and net to allow ventilation, is there. The ‘off-white’ and the green colours give it a little bit of life to show that humans use it.

The shoemaking section is closer to an exit straight ahead, with the tailoring section down. The barbing section, with a stool, is just three steps away. The carpentry section has a table and a tool to hold planks when sawing. The electrical section is at a side with a table to put tools and items for repair.


One needs no prophet to declare that the workshop cannot cater for the vocational training of about 160 convicted inmates in there, let alone additional (about) 700 persons awaiting trial. It is not only ‘dry’; it is the direct opposite of what the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 entails.

On July 31, 2019, the Nigerian Prisons Service changed its name to the Nigerian Correctional Service. The paradigm shift is purely nomenclatural as implementation cannot stimulate corrections in the Nigerian criminal justice system. One wonders where the billions of naira appropriated for the Correctional Service in the 2023 and past years went into.

OUR EXPERIENCES: FORMER INMATES

I tracked some former inmates who recently left the Olokuta Custodial Centre. Tunde Ayelabowo (not his real name) was sentenced for stealing and conspiracy. ‘It was a heist due to frustration,’ he claimed. Before his arrest, he was into tiling. He spent some years at ‘Olokuta’ before his release. He shared his experience at ‘Ile Nla’ (Big house) with The Hope.

“The workshop was dry when I was there. I could have learnt more about repairing and wiring if they had the tools and someone to teach, but there were none.

“Correctional centres cannot correct you unless you choose to correct yourself.”

‘They train in carpentry, barbing, and I think shoemaking, but these are not the skills I want, and not all the needed equipment are available. But sometimes, churches or these NGOs can come to talk and train us,” Ayelabowo revealed.

His story was corroborated by another former inmate at the centre, who simply identified himself as Deji. A terrible fight got him to the big house.


“Workshop is free and not mandatory. Only a few people interested in any of the trainings would go. But when people like philanthropists came around to talk to us, they usually come with several items and gifts,” he explained.

The commercial driver said he was not interested in vocational training because the workshop was ‘dry’. “I was a driver before going there. Is it barbing, tailoring, or carpentry I want to learn? Even if I want to, it’s not the way they train there. Nothing is there, my brother. The best prayer is not to be sent there

“We do not have any warder to train us. Inmates usually train others, especially those who have the skills before coming to the centre. Sometimes, some ‘guys’ awaiting trial would come around.”

WHY REHABILITATION OF INMATES FAILS – WARDERS

Two servicemen at Olokuta Correctional Centre, with a plea to remain anonymous, also confirmed what Ayelabowo and Deji said. One of the officers (Let’s call him Dayo) has spent over a decade in the service, while the other (let’s call him Kunle) is nearing a decade.

Officer Dayo stressed that correctional centres are “not correct because right from the top (Headquarters), things are not correct.”


He bemoaned that the service has not recruited into specialised departments, such as those that will handle vocational training for inmates, in a very long time, lamenting that service officers who handle rehabilitation and reintegration of the inmates also need ‘rehabilitation’ as they are denied motivational incentives.


READ THE REST OF THE INVESTIGATION HERE

https://www.thehopenewspaper.com/olokuta-inside-nigerias-failed-correctional-centre/

Rape, incest and doubt of motherhood

Lara Adekunle (not real name) was a teenager betrayed by her blood relative – uncle – who was living with her family.

She was 13 years old and in junior secondary school. While Lara’s parents were securing a better future for the young man, he was planning a sexual heist on the young girl.

“He started by buying gifts for me. I thought it was a normal uncle-niece treatment. He was always around me. I did not know he was planning anything of sort.

“I used to be home alone with him whenever I was back from school.

“So, on this particular day, I was home and he was in his room. He called me to see him in his room, which I did. Before I knew anything, he forcefully had carnal knowledge of me.

“After the whole saga, he begged me not to tell my mother and promised to get me anything I wanted. It was such a scary thing. I did not know how to tell my mother or my dad.


“I cried every day in my room. After contemplation for a few days, I had to open up to my mummy because I was not myself anymore,” she revealed.


Lara’s mother must not tell her husband because that would be the end of her and her brother in the house. Lara’s father is not only a principled person but also a ‘no nonsense man,’ as his daughter described him. What he would do could be unimaginable.

Lara’s mother questioned her brother, who confessed and apologized. But what would the poor woman do? Tell her husband or send her brother, whom the husband was sponsoring in school, away? What offence would she tell her husband her brother had committed? It became ‘oku oru’ as the Yorubas will say. ‘Oku oru’ is used to describe a situation that cannot be revealed to anyone.

However, luck was not on the side of the poor little girl: her trauma became compounded when she started adding weight and her skin was glowing… she became pregnant.

“I was noticing some changes in my body. My mother was also monitoring me. I was supposed to see my monthly flow on the 28th of the same month, but nothing happened until 14th day of the following month and my mother decided to carry out pregnancy test on me. She got me a test strip and it confirmed I was pregnant,” she revealed.


The revelation did unsettle the mother. It was another trauma to deal with. Would she now tell the husband or handle the new development as ‘oku oru’? Yes! She had to save her daughter, her brother and her marriage. She consulted her friend, who told her what to do.

“Mummy got some drugs for me to use. I took them that day and the following day. I noticed I was having some rumbling in my tummy and later started having some pains.

“I started bleeding. It was a terrible situation. My mother was praying nothing should happen to me. “In the evening, when my dad came back from work and asked about me, my mother told him I was feeling sick due to menstrual cramps”.

Lara was taken to a nurse the following day, who injected her and also recommended some drugs to use. A few days later, she became well. But all was not well -unknown to her.

“It’s been over 10 years after the ugly experience. I don’t know if I will ever be able to conceive or have a baby. My menstruation stopped like eight months ago without any sign of pregnancy. I was at the hospital, and the doctor told me my chance of getting pregnant was very slim, which might not be unconnected with the unsafe abortion she had to go through when she was 13.


Asked why the mother did not take her to the hospital to remove the pregnancy, she replied: “I don’t know but I think it may be because abortion is illegal in Nigeria. Perhaps, it’s because of the stigma attached and dad must not know anything.”

Lara finished university top of her class. She is currently doing well for herself as a communicator. For childbearing, she is only hoping on God.

COUPLE’S UNSPEAKABLE LOSS

In the quiet corners of Ondo City, a couple battled life challenges just like countless other Nigerians striving to put food on their table, amidst the harsh economic realities brought about by fuel subsidy removal, soaring inflation rates, and the escalating prices of goods and services.

With two little ones to care for, the thought of expanding their family further seemed like an overwhelming burden, given the economic strain they were already enduring. Yet, fate had other plans – the wife became pregnant. Faced with this bleak reality, they contemplated the unthinkable – abortion.

In a desperate bid to resolve their predicament, the husband sought the assistance of a ‘doctor’, whose qualifications remained unverified till this report was filed.

Tragically, the abortion was performed within the confines of their home, but what was anticipated to bring relief only ushered in an era of unimaginable suffering, pain, and, ultimately, the demise of their marriage.

Afterwards, the wife began to bleed profusely, writhing in agony. The pain became unbearable, forcing her to be rushed to the nearest hospital. Recognizing the gravity of her condition, the hospital referred her to Ife.

There, the horrifying truth was discovered: the so-called “doctor” had punctured the woman’s womb during the botched abortion attempt. Her womb was said to be decaying, necessitating its removal. Tragically, the woman succumbed to this nightmare, her life extinguished by the tragic consequences of an unsafe abortion.


Further investigation showed the husband was arrested by the police in Ondo. A close source in the Nigerian police confirmed the case to The Hope. A prosecutor also confirmed knowledge of the ugly development. The ‘doctor’ was on the run when this report was filed. In the neighbourhood, whispers of the tragedy echoed through the air. One of the neighbours claimed the husband sold his late wife’s phone to pay for the abortion that ended her life.

Read the rest of the stories here,👇👇👇

https://www.thehopenewspaper.com/whispers-of-pain-human-cost-of-unsafe-abortions/

-Rural communities hold the key to Nigeria's development


Experts at the Maiden Edition of the Young Rural Developers Summit (YORDS 2020), organised by the Rural Nurture Initiative (RNI) have identified the development of agriculture and rural areas as the key to Nigeria's sustainable development.

The 2 days summit, which was held at the Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, on November 13 and 14, 2020, was themed “Accelerated, Inclusive and Sustainable Rural Development in the Post COVID-19 Era".

In attendance were renowned academics, political leaders, rural developer enthusiasts, agriculturists, students and individuals from all walks of life.

The speakers and panelists at the summit identified that if Nigerian government would focus on the development of the rural areas, which hold the keys to the country's development, Nigeria would be regarded as the food basket of the world and compete favourably with developed nations. They also said that the capacities of the agragrian people must be enhanced through bottom-up and problem-driven approaches in order to ensure that the development of these areas are sustainable.

The opening speech on Day 1 was delivered by the Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ojekunle Ojemuyiwa, who was ably represented by Mrs I. A. Iroko, the Director of Extension Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Commissioner applauded the giant strides being made by the Rural Nurture Initiative team and other well-meaning youths who are contributing their quota to support the Government‘s efforts towards developing rural communities in the Oyo State.

He also noted that the Ministry was working assiduously notable to promote agricultural development in Oyo State.

While delivering her keynote address, a Rural Development Consultant, Prof. Janice Olawoye said that Nigeria had all the potentials and resources needed to achieve sustainable development but the management of these resources had not been put in proper perspective.

The Retired Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Ibadan submitted that if the money spent on oil in the country had been spent on developing agriculture and the rural areas, Nigeria would be regarded as "the land of food".

She opined that the country is blessed with human, natural and material resources but these had not been exploited for sustainable development.

According to the American descendant, the people in the rural areas must be adequately empowered and must be engaged in providing solutions to their problems in order for interventions in these areas to be sustainable.

She also added that a one-size fits all approach must not be adopted in order to proffer solutions to the problems of the rural areas, saying each of them has its peculiarities.

The Rural Development Consultant however identified that the government, corporate world and the academia must work together in order to bring development to the rural communities through problem-driven approach.


In her address, the Executive Director of Rural Nurture Initiative, a non-governmental organisation domiciled in Oyo state, Damilola Iyiola noted that developing the rural areas involves a multidimensional approach to ensure that every aspect of the agragrian communities are developed, especially agriculture.

Miss Iyiola said that the income of these people should be diversified in order to enhance their livelihood, and that health care facilities, education, welfare and social amenities must be provided.

She suggested that in every rural area targeted for development, situation analysis must first be conducted before solutions are provided to solve identified problems, adding that the solutions provided must be people-focused through bottom-up approach in order to ensure sustainability.

She implored government, non-governmental organisations and other interventionists that rural dwellers must not be regarded as unknowledgeable, adding that the rural communities are an embodiment of indigenous knowledge and resources needed to develop their own communities. Hence, they must be included in all stages of developmental interventions, to facilitate ownership and sustainability.

The Project Coordinator of Oyo State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Dr. M. A. Ayanlowo spoke extensively on rural poverty eradication strategies, revealing that majority of rural dwellers are trapped in extreme poverty.

He stated that the government has a crucial role to play in developing the agricultural sector, non-farm and off farm activities by creating enabling environment for investors.

To cap up his session, Dr Ayanlowo provided a recommendation to the government, highlighting the “Resolution Approach to Poverty Alleviation (SPR-A)”, which he regarded as the application of simple technology that calls for the involvement of multivariate attributes in a pixel called operational platform. This model highlights the roles of various government parastatals in poverty eradication.

The Director of the University of Ibadan Center for Sustainable Development (CESDEV), Prof. O. Olaniyan, represented by Dr. Wale Olaide, pointed out vivid ways through which youths can adapt the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets into our local context, to ensure the sustainability of our developmental efforts.

The Ag. General Manager of Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA), Engr R. A. Adabanija,
spoke on partnership and collaboration, using the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) as a case study. She pointed that accelerated and sustainable development can be achieved through more robust partnership among development practitioners at all levels.


The opening speech on Day 2 was delivered by the Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Seun Fakorede, represented by Mrs K. O. Mustapha, the Director of Youth Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Commissioner encouraged youths to remain an active voice and positive influence towards a progressive Oyo State.

He also expressed the Ministry’s willingness to support initiatives aimed at promoting youth development and empowerment in Oyo State.

Day 2 featured a Lecturer from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, U.I, Dr Olusola Fadairo, who submitted that generic developmental strategies would not solve the problems in the rural communities in Nigeria and the country at large.

The Rural Development Lecturer said that developmental agenda tailored towards Africa's needs, such as the African Union Agenda 2063 and the African Development Bank High 5 Priority Areas, should be adopted as guides for intervention programmes.

He also identified that the problems in the Nigerian educational sector is systemic, with outdated curricula, calling for adoption of education system that will reflect the peculiarities of current Nigerian problems in order for the country to development at its pace.

Also speaking on education, the Founder, Bramble Network, Miss Oduanayo Aliu agitated for a paradigm shift from certificate-focused education system to 'Alternative Learning' in order to make education easier and more impactful.

She revealed that each rural community has its local resources that could be explored and exploited for its development and education in such communities must be tailored towards the needs of each rural area, adding that examination as a test of knowledge is being “overrated”.

In his own contribution, the Founder, Slum and Rural Health Initiative, Dr Isaac Olufadewa said that farmers and dwellers in the rural communities must be protected and their capacities enhanced, adding that myths that stand as barriers to development in the rural areas must be deconstructed so as for the people to give room for reorientation and development.

The Co-founder CATO Foods, Atinuke Lebile, suggested that farmers in the interiors must be trained in use of modern technology to enhance their productivity, adding that agricultural extension workers should be sent to these areas to guide farmers on the use of modern farm tools and orientate them on the value embedded in any intervention brought to them.

On the shortage of food crops in Nigeria, she recommended that farmers should be educated on the need to plant more nutritious crops.

To the Chief Executive Officer of Innovate Lab, Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, interventionists should not approach the rural areas with "Messiah Orientation" and the Federal Government create enabling environment that would allow entrepreneurs to drive the development of rural communities in the country. He further reiterated that “interventions in rural communities should be contextualized in entrepreneurship”.

A university scholar, Eucharia Obar called for the use of research findings to transform the lives of people in the rural areas. She noted that many research in these areas were done just for promotions and publications, saying that policy makers and the academia should work together for the development of the agrarian areas in the country.

While deliverjng a lecture on Agribusiness opportunities for Youth, Mr Osun Idowu, the Business Development Officer, ENABLE-TAAT, from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) said that youth must acquire the necessary modern technical skills to drive agriculture for optimum productivity and transform the agriculture sector into a highly competitive one.

To wrap up the technical/brainstorming session, Mr Ramoni Afeez, Oyo State Director of Rural Development took the stage to provide a balanced perspective based on the problems highlighted and solutions recommended during the brainstorming session by each technical group (agriculture, education, health, infrastructure and research).

He further revealed governmental efforts and systems that have been put in place to ensure that the myriad of problems facing our rural communities are effectively tackled. He assured that the recommendations have been noted and would be forwarded to the appropriate quarters.

www.rnionline.org

The level of poverty and underdevelopment in many communities in Nigeria is alarming and requires collective effort to bring hope, succour and development to the people, especially those in the rural areas.

This informs why many International bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations, groups and private individuals have embarked on social development advocacy of various forms in order to bring even development to every part of the country, with much focus on the people at the grassroots.

One of these aforementioned stakeholders is Rural Nurture Initiative (RNI), a Youth-led Non-Governmental Organisation poised to aid the development of people in the rural areas.

While delivering a lecture titled "Becoming Relevant in the World of Social Development Advocacy" at the group's monthly volunteers' connect, an astute lecturer and a rural development specialist in the Department of Agricultural extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, Dr Olufolake Adelakun identified ways through which social development advocacy groups and individuals can become relevant and make sustainable impacts in their various advocacy efforts.

According to her, every individual who seek to become relevant must find a purpose at every point in time in whatever they do, adding that it is necessary to attach a purpose to everything they do at a times because a purposeless effort will amount to zero impact in the long run.

Dr Adelakun also emphasised the need for continuous self evaluation at all times. She stated that when one discovers that people have different perception about himself/herself, he or she must needs to engage in self-audit and adjust where there is need to.

The Rural Nurturer also emphasised the need for self discipline, conscious choice, loyalty and consistency, saying they are necessary in the tool box of any social advocate in order to make meaningful impact in the current world.

In her own speech, the Executive Director or RNI Miss Damilola Iyiola enjoined youth to ways endeavor to join online campaigns pertaining to global issues and are of interest to them

She also added that youth should always join in and implement the campaigns locally.

Depressed101:
See, no smile on their face... While someone somewhere is swallowing all the billions made for them

Pathetic

johnkey:
Lady on jeans

You know her?

Solsix:

U are free

Make una, plus the governor, send all necessary details and motivations

Feranmiz:
Dirty water ke? Wow...this is really an eye opener to what is going on in these villages.

Thank you for your good work.

I plan to pitch in and help...I wish everyone would do the same.

May God help u as u do...

mfm04622:


If not money, then manpower! How much will it cost to dig a well in a place with a stream or river, which mean the water table is not deep? If they can't get money to pay for the whole thing and they don't have the knowledge, why not employ just one person with the knowhow and attached youth to help him dig the well?
I come from a village too! However, there was pipe borne water in my village even before I was born. However, it is not reliable. Do you know what people do? They go to River Ogun to fetch water! The you know the worst? They also don't have toilets and shit inside the river! This my village I am talking about have indegenes all over the WORLD! I mean WORLD, not just Nigeria! Yet, our ancestral homes are without toilets and our people fetch drinking water from polluted rivers. This situation is clearly that of lack of foresight, not lack of money

Insightful

It is easier to make suggestions to people but implementation, the room is clear

Teamprudent:


Kai...see water!
Its not their fault that they can't filter the water..these are people with limited resources and little knowledge.
Best thing we can do as knowledgeable persons is help in any way we can. Support this initiative that has brought this to our notice..linking them up with the appropriate quarters.
God bless that RNI group

God bless you o

oluwadharmeey1:


LOL... Finding grant towards a good and noble cause isn't a crime nah.

Abi o

fr3do:
They dey find grant

Futuristic begging

At least they didn't beg you before they did this.

Why do u people always bring negativity into positive moves...

NGOs are opened to donation and they also task themselves.. Why not do the same...if u can't, at least, have nice words

adeleyejohnife:

There's nothing wrong with that sir. It's a non profit and they have great intentions to make things better for people like us. They shouldn't be mocked for their good intentions. Question is, what will you do about it?

God bless you

Antivirus92:
My mistake ,,,,,but i thought their gdp is that of paris,milan,madrid ,istanbul combined ,,,,
that's the impression they're giving us on nairaland but reality is saying a different things

Ah... GDP ke....

All na packaging o

Solsix:

Anambra dosent have that kind of school, tanx to Peter Obi

Should I come and confirm?

ctleurocollege:
People should use clean white cloth to filter the water instead of drinking it like this las las dig well beside it. We Blacks are too dull

Does cloth sieve out germs too?

ctleurocollege:



They lack sense bro. If they use clean cloth to filter then boil to boiling point before drinking, won't it be better? also we have high rainfall in this country, which they can build local reservoir and store it.

Should u insult cos u know better?

Perhaps u visit the villages... So, how many local reservoirs do we have and how sustaining are they.

Where will they build it and what's d cost? These are villages, not even towns.

Be calm my brother

oluwadharmeey1:


Definitely we mustn't wait for the Government to do all thngs for us but at the same time, contributing money in remote villages where most villagers live in chronic poverty isn't feasible. Even if they do, it's going to take a long while to complete the money.

I've been to those villages myself and they are willing to contribute their token and manpower towards the project.

Good move

sweetonugbu:
Mosquito bites will be uncommon here

More than o

sweetonugbu:
They should build a dyke to wage the water

Contract awarded but not done

Kapilta:
Our government have really abadon the ilaje people for long prolly because there's nothing they can do to the waters. They share border with the atlantic ocean.

Nice and serene environment

You are more than right

johnmartus:
Best way is to move away from this sea.

They have been der since 1947 o

MelesZenawi:
Do you want to drag space with the sea?

Relocate ?

The sea is dragging with them

eventsms:
This is very bad condition. Helpers social development foundation was established to assist disadvantage children, youths and women in the society to ensure healthy development among them inrespective of their tribe or religious.
Contact the foundation if you see any case like this around you.

Website: www.helpersfoundation.org
Tell: +2349011696190

Thank you for your kind gesture.

The foundation can also support RNI so to get the demand delivered. RNI's contact details and account number are provided already

Thank you

mustmust:
Nice gesture . You are appreciated God help me, I will have a foundation that will be helping out like this.

Kai, but We have a long way to go I this country.

I wonder how up north is like .

Like a million kilometres

mfm04622:
Which kind of thing is this? So we must wait for Government to do all things for us? The whole community cannot contribute money to dig just one well that will serve them? Kai!!!

That's what u think... If you visit the community, you will be able to judge better.

They have tried every possible means to get a well with water but to no avail.

Do you think a group of people will just start drinking from a dirty stream without making effort to get a better source of water?

Think about it

tomisin107:
I'm convinced that that the Nigerian mind is awesome. Thank you (RNI) for these interventions.

Together we can help everybody, one at a time

Several communities in Oyo state are currently suffering and lamenting their inaccessibility to potable water, among which are Agele and Mogba villages.

Members of the villages currently fetch water from a dirty stream, which according to the residents, is often contaminated by Fulani herdsmen and their cows.

The community leaders and people are appealing for intervention.

RURAL NURTURE INITIATIVE visited the towns and the situation can only be described as TERRIBLE, especially during dry season.

Therefore, the group plans to dig 2 Wells in different locations that will serve the members of Agele, Mogba and their neigbouring villages.

The group is calling on every individual to help and make a token donation to aid the intervention.
All payment/donation for the Water intervention should be made into the account below:

Rural Nurture Initiative
6060405291
Fidelity Bank

Pictures below:

You can visit RNI websites for more pictures here

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3gwT9JlYrU/?igshid=1ulr7q1lseis

Website: www.rnionline.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ruralnurtureinitiative

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruralnurtureinitiative

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ruralnurture

You can see the impacts of the team

God bless RNI

In St. Timothy RCM Primary School, Amuloko village, Osun state, pupils go to school without uniforms and other learning materials because their parents couldn't afford to provide such materials.

As part of their efforts to ensure the development and enhancement of lives of the people in the rural areas, members of RURAL NURTURE INITIATIVE visited the school and provided school uniforms and learning materials to the pupils as well as teaching materials to the teachers.

The group, on its website, writes:

It was another impactful moment as the Rural Nurture Initiative team embarked on an educational outreach to St. Timothy RCM Primary School on 21st of September, 2019. The outreach focused on meeting the educational needs of the pupils as well as changing the parents and pupils’ orientation about the importance of education. With the aid of magnanimous donors, essential educational needs such as school uniforms, notebooks and other stationery were provided to the pupils while teaching materials were made available to the teachers.

The outreach consisted of various engaging activities such as spelling bee/reading competition, colouring and drawing competition, craft making (broom making competition). The pupils were encouraged to display their broom making skills and teach the process to RNI team. Distribution of school uniforms took place simultaneously, as the pupils were dressed in the uniforms donated by Rural Nurture Initiative.

A career talk titled “Dream Big”, was given to the students on the importance of focus and hard work to achieve success. Up next was a talk with the parents on the importance of child education; this session proved to be very enlightening and interesting as the parents were responsive and inquisitive.


See pictures and other details here:

https://rnionline.org/2019/09/29/educational-outreach-to-st-timothy-rcm-primary-school-amuloko-village-isokan-south-lga-osun-state/

For partnership and sponsorship, call RNI on:
+2348087776366

You can also make a donation to the account details below:

Rural Nurture Initiative
6060405291
Fidelity Bank

Website: www.rnionline.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ruralnurtureinitiative

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruralnurtureinitiative

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ruralnurture

MelesZenawi:
Do you want to drag space with the sea?

Relocate ?

Once this town goes down, the sea water will get to other communities and destroy them as well.

This community is like the border