I've raised £15000 to provide books, clothing, toys and nutritional support for 450 Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) living with HIV in Rivers State, Nigeria
Organised by Abiye Hector-Goma
Story
SUPPORT FOR MANKIND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (MANKIND) was founded by Dr. Abiye Hector-Goma in 1995 as a direct response to the burden of Reproductive and Sexual Health challenges especially amongst young persons and women. Several incidences of septic abortions, high rate of sexually transmitted infections and its attendant complications were prevalent at the emergency ward, some fatal.
Community Based Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
MANKIND is currently working with 27,306 children aged 0-17 years who are OVCs in five local government areas of Rivers State, Nigeria out of which 510 are HIV positive. Poverty is an underlying problem for all these children resulting in inadequate social support, poor nutrition, education, healthcare and clothing. Their drugs are provided by the government but the rest of their care during these critical years of life hang on a balance.
For one Orphan or Vulnerable Child, thirty pounds (£30) will provide exercise books for a school term, clothes, and nutritional support for a month. We will also give a stipend to MANKIND volunteers, maximum 10% of funds raised.
Our philosophy is expressed through our logo, “candle in the dark” which signifies that it is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. This is done by facilitating change process based on needs at the community level.
Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.
MANKIND's passionate staff and volunteers are working in austere office spaces in dire need of revamp.
Previous fundraising activities:
Support for 50 Rural Wakirike Women Entrepreneurs
Here is a story about The Rural Woman:
She is the first to rise and usually the last to eat or sleep. She works hardest and longest and holds her family together as they face adverse levels of poverty and illiteracy. Life as a rural woman has never been easy and the story is the same in both hemispheres whatever colour or culture. In collaboration with Wakirike Development Coalition and Global Giving, we successfully supported Rural Wakirike Women entrepreneurs. They had access to one-to-one training in business skills, funds to restock products/inventory and book keeping.
One of the beneficiaries, B.G. shared her joy.
I have always desired to be a distributor wholesale/ retail of carbonated drinks but have been hindered due to lack of finance, but since your support, my business has improved before my eyes and I am confident it will only get better. You have taught me how to be diligent in book keeping and prudent to be able to track sales and expenses. I have one person in my employment and even pay myself a monthly stipend. With the use of a business plan I am convinced I will achieve my target which is to become a merchant in the neighbourhood. I am gradually overcoming the anxiety on how to support my household and my children’s education.
Waste Revalued
…A Social Enterprise Initiative (supported by LLoyds Register Foundation)
The menace plastic wastes constitutes in our environment cannot be over emphasized. From clogging of drainage and water ways resulting in flooding, to killing of precious aquatic lives and birds because they feed on plastics even the soil and sub-soil contamination due to its non-biodegradable nature yielding to poor harvest. We cleaned our waterways and started a process of recycling the plastics.
Wakirike Development Coalition
The vision of Wakirike Development Coalition(a partner of MANKIND) is to lift our people out of poverty on the road to prosperity one family at a time. Wakirike Development Coalition gives microfinance loans to rural entrepreneurs and partnered with Global Giving; scholarships and Back to School grants for students facing hardship, free Medical Missions through partnership with local doctors group and purchased drugs from International Health Partners. We started an annual 1000 voices choral Unity concert in 2017.
