NGO Seeks Support For Kaduna IDPs

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Eko Smile Support and Empowerment Initiative (ESSEI) has called on well-meaning individuals to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kaduna State.

The founder of ESSEI, Blessing Eko Sunday made the appeal yesterday at a programme organised by Hope Builders Foundation for Entrepreneurial Education in Kaduna.

She said the government has been doing a lot but the needs of the IDPs are enormous.

Sunday lamented that some displaced children are out of school due to lack of finance, while those currently in school are lagging behind in the area of books, school uniforms among others.

“We have done a lot of programmes, interventions in different orphanages, we have helped widows and youths but the current project that we are actually soliciting for support is what we call project smile support for the IDPs.

“Most of these people we know have been displaced from their communities, they have nothing to do. They are just living at the mercy of society. So, we want to see how we can create job opportunities for them by training them on different vocational skills, supporting them with food, clothes and even to give them education because some of these children are not even going to school.”

“We are appealing to other organizations to come and assist us. Even those of these children going to school, some of them do not even have school uniforms and books, so we have to put up our best to see ways we can help them.

“The government has actually rendered some support to them but you know the government cannot do it alone, so we are calling on others to come and support the IDPs,” she said.