The Grassroots Mobilizers for Better Nigeria Initiative (GMBNI), a non-governmental organisation offering support across various human endeavours, has sought for funding support to tackle the menace of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria.
Founded by Ambassador Dr. Fatima Mohammed Goni, a dedicated humanitarian from Borno State, GMBNI aims to support the less-privileged in rural areas, particularly focusing on Tsangaya (Almajiri) and out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria.
The organisation provides the children with access to education, healthcare, and basic necessities, stating that in the current challenging landscape of Nigeria, acts of love, care, and compassion for the less fortunate are essential.
GMBNI’s mission extends beyond socio-economic, tribal, ethnic, and religious boundaries, offering aid to all disadvantaged Nigerians. The organization recently demonstrated its commitment by revitalising a dilapidated schools and constructing 11 open wells in Jigawa State, providing clean water to residents in hard-to-reach rural communities.
During a visit to Dutse, Jigawa State, Ambassador Fatima Mohammed Goni and her team, accompanied by members of the Jigawa chapter of GMBNI, paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Dutse, Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi. The monarch expressed his gratitude for GMBNI’s philanthropic efforts.
The Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria, a centuries-old cultural and religious practice, involves sending young boys to Islamic schools for religious education. However, many of these children are neglected, lacking basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare, and often resort to begging on the streets to survive.
The GMBNI has intervened by enrolling some of the children in formal schools in Nasarawa State, providing teachers, uniforms, books, and bags.
Ambassador Fatima Mohammed Goni’s dedication extends to building worship centers for both Muslim and Christian communities, maintaining public burial grounds, and constructing drainage systems to prevent erosion. In Borno State, GMBNI has also supported internally displaced persons by constructing housing with essential amenities, including boreholes and solar energy, to improve their living conditions.
To continue its mission, GMBNI is seeking funding and support from donor organisations and individuals to execute its mandate. Ambassador Fatima Mohammed Goni, who has personally funded all projects so far, is committed to expanding GMBNI’s impact and helping even more people in need.
