Dayo Emmanuel
A corps member serving in Plateau State, Ayodeji Tunde-Abatan has distributed relief materials to over 150 children in the Anguldi camp housing some Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the north central state.
The operation staged on the platform of Mission Hub Africa also got collaboration alongside another non-profit organisation, Bit is Big.
According to Tunde-Abatan, who led a team of other youth corpers to actualize the project, the fund for the outreach was raised privately and from members of the public.
“We raised funds among ourselves and also from the public to sponsor the project. The campaign lasted for a week,” he said.
In all, according to him, a total of N51,000 was raised within one week which enabled the team purchase some relief materials distributed among the IDPs.
Talking about the motivation for the project, Abatan said the Fulani herdsmen attack on the Plateau necessitated the humanitarian activity.
“The initiative came about after the last Fulani herdsmen attacks sometime in May or June. Following the crisis and the tension that was very apparent in Plateau State, I was feeling really uncomfortable with myself, also coupled with the fact that the government hadn’t even done anything as regards the displaced persons.
“Also, I felt I needed to do something about it too, and I knew the best way was not to complain, but to actually act. I spoke to two of my colleagues on one Sunday in church, we planned there and then and we visited the IDP camp on Wednesday the same week, after we began fundraising on Thursday.
We needed the initiative to be a fast relief one not one of unnecessary prolonged planning and eventual discard of the project,” he said.
Leader of the team, Tunde-Abatan explained further that the distribution was timely and it solved a lot of immediate problems for the displaced persons.
“Well, the initiative helped the victims in a number of ways. The food materials and other things we delivered were very welcomed and as food is a basic and much needed thing, one can understand why it was important to them,” he said.
Children in the camp were not left out in the distribution as the team also reached out to them. “We helped spread joy in the camp when we engaged the kids in educative and play sessions,” he added, continuing that, “Even parents of the about 150 children we catered for came to identify with their children.
Advising his fellow corps members, Tunde-Abatan said they should render service to humanity.
“Whatever advice I have to give as regards service to humanity borders on these sayings: ‘Whatever keeps you up at night, whatever calls for your attention, in your community especially, don’t over plan and waste time, just do it.
“Gather an equally passionate team of very few people, plan briefly, then execute. You can patch up the execution along the way. The people you want to help may be in urgent need. Do what you must and don’t waste time,” he advised.
He also warned his colleagues not to seek personal interests when embarking on such humanitarian projects.
“Don’t engage in projects like this if you are only interested in getting accolades. That is a wrong motivation,” he said.
