#Impact365: ACF provides free medical aid to rural communities in Ebonyi and other Eastern states

Though based in the Eastern region of Nigeria, Abraham’s Children Foundation has spread its goodwill across the rest of Nigeria and is passionate about going beyond. For them, its about promoting peace among communities and providing help after the event of a crisis.

In this interview with YNaija’s Impact365, the Executive Director of the NGO, Victor Dorawa Koreyo shares the details of all the humanitarian work ACF has done and how they plan to expand in coming years.

Can you please tell us more about Abraham’s Children Foundation?

Abraham’s Children Foundation was conceived in 2011 by like-minded citizens of Nigeria who desire a neutral platform to help Nigerian communities (and other communities around the world) out of their ethno-religious crisis and insecurity challenges.

The name Abraham was adopted by the promoters of this organization because he set the highest standard for Jews, Christians and Muslim Communities on religious tolerance and cooperation between them and humans of other faiths or religions.

Abraham’s Children Foundation is a not-for-profit organization delivering humanitarian relief and services in the focus area of primary health, water, hygiene and education. Our community development services beneficiaries are children, women, youths and the aged.

Our aim is to promote peace to hard-to-reach communities through our community development services.

Why and when did you set up this foundation?

The foundation began its operation in Ebonyi State after it was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC on May 11th, 2011. At the time, the foundation had moved from its temporary accommodation to its rented head office/training centre located at No. 25 Nelag’s House, Public Works Department, Ngodo Afikpo, Ebonyi State Nigeria.

What led the trustees to start the foundation was to proactively stop the use of religion in conflict creation and security challenges in nations and to be reactive when responding in time of emergencies with relief supplies served to human communities.

These are some of the foundation’s achievements recorded in its first year of operation:

1. We eliminated the religious war posture between Christians and Muslims, which was not voiced out by Christians and Muslim clerics.

2. We encourage inter-faith invitation of guest speakers among Christians and Islamic clerics in Kano and Kaduna (Nigeria) who spoke on peace and unity in their places of worship.

3. The Sultan of Sokoto (Nigeria) accepted the foundation idea of promoting Christians/Muslims joint evangelism.

4. We encourage dialogue between Nigerian Federal Government and Boko Haram and dialogue between Federal Government and Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

5. We contributed in the conflict resolution of Ezza-Ezillo crisis of Ebonyi State through our suggestion to the State Ministry of Borders and Conflict Resolution.

In 2012, we achieved the following:

1. We provided the international community with an effective Quranic response to unscriptural statement of March 12, 2012 by Sheik Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, which is against religious tolerance in the Middle East.

2. We promoted the opinion that Chinese leadership of Asian Tiger nations can help North American and Europe out of its current unemployment problems.

3. In partnership with Child Care Department of Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare Nigeria, we donated funds for the care of a limbless child.

4. We provided primary health care emergency services in our emergency clinic in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

You’re based in Ebonyi state, do you have plans to expand to other parts of the East?

The year 2015 was a period of new initiatives and decision making design to improve our services in communities where we work in Nigeria. It was the year we expanded our services to 30 States in Nigeria including Abuja.

Your goal is to have 10,000 peaceful and united human communities in nations without security challenges over period 2013-2017, have you achieved this?

The foundation was able to achieve its set goal through advocacy and here are some of them:

1. A call for an international peace dialogue for Nigerian politicians to agree on deterrence measures for peaceful 2015 general election: a proactive monitoring mechanism against violence that will affect children and women.

2. A call for international community pro-active intervention through pre-2015 presidential election political dialogue to save the lives of children, women and unite the nation (25/2/2014)

3. Diplomatic information and solution to the conflict in Ukraine, Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Central African Republic (12/3/2014)

4. Boko haram unvoiced attack on declaration of United Nations fourth world conference on women in Beijing and girl child education in Northern Nigeria (5/5/2014).

5. A call for international community and international criminal court to commence investigation on sponsors of boko haram through trial of principal and selected staff of Government Girl Secondary School Chibok, Nigeria for crime against dignity of womanhood worldwide (24/05/2014)

6. Mirror reflection of Nigerian government official’s unguarded utterance and actions against Nigerian constitution and United Nations human rights resolutions: a premonition of Nigerian civilian government suspension from international affairs. (1/07/2014)

7. Helping humans in the brutal Boko Haram territory in Nigeria. (31/10/2014)

 

What is the most successful project you’ve embarked on?

It’s the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) of Abraham’s Children Foundation developed to meet the healthcare needs of rural persons (particularly women and children). The Community Health Aide Program is a sustainable, successful, and culturally acceptable health care delivery system started in native villages in Alaska, USA.

The success of CHAP in Bethel region of Alaska USA in the 1950s resulted in the trustees of Abraham’s Children Foundation’s adoption of the program for Nigeria communities without functional medicare facilities. This program is supported by our paramedic referral ambulance service. With focused training and support by our referral physician, community health professionals or workers will supervise experienced auxiliary nurses in delivering quality healthcare in rural environments.

The Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) of Abraham’s Children Foundation is designed to continuously improve these services: community health aide regular training, field supervision of networks of service units nationwide, immunization and child wellbeing services, quality clinical services and referral paramedic services and community health aide services based on standard medical assessment and treatment protocols.

Our aim is to provide a network of CHAP services in communities or rural villages without functional medicare facilities and our goal is to reduce the number of health concerns, including: epidemics, high infant mortality and high rates of injury in communities or rural villages.

 

What have the challenges being so far?

The foundation carried out NEEDS ASSESSMENT in the year 2015 and the following are the identified challenges in communities of Nigeria where we work:

1. Okpuma Amangwu Edda and other unreached communities in Ebonyi State and Bole community in Adamawa State Nigeria have unsafe drinking water challenges during the dry seasons.

2. Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Nigeria need additional safe drinking water facilities, Medicare, food and decent hygienic toilet facilities yet to be provided by government and civil society organizations.

3. Malaria, tuberculosis and other preventable diseases resistances to drugs is a challenge that is encouraged by culture of self medication in poor communities of Nigeria and other developing nations. Sensitization on danger of self medication and under-doses intake of medication is urgently needed.

How do you get funding?

Our social services would not have been fruitful without the support of our partners. Major source of funds (90%) come from financial contributions from trustees and part-time staff in branch offices of our network in Nigeria. 10% of funds and non-financial donations come from these organizations: Danitrint Nigeria Limited, Port Harcourt Nigeria, Management and Staff of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana Afikpo Nigeria, Vitamin Angels USA, Society for Family Health Nigeria, Global Rights, ActionAid Nigeria, Participatory Development Alternative (PDA) Nigeria and Neighbourhood Environment Watch (NEW) Foundation Nigeria

What future projects do you have planned for 2017 and beyond?

To help complement Federal Ministry of Health’s efforts in providing a functional sustainable community paramedic service for Nigeria

Are you bringing this campaign to Lagos?

Yes, our Lagos State director will work with the Lagos State Government in providing a functional sustainable community services targeted at promoting peace among humans in Lagos Nigeria. The Lagos State Director of Abraham’s Children Foundation is Bukola Amao-Taiwo. Contact Address: 19,Kunle Akinsanya Street, Irepo Estate, Igando Road, Ikotun, Lagos State (08033818166)

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