Understanding the growing number of Nigerian populations in need of humanitarian assistance has resulted in the emergence of national and community non-governmental organizations with roots to provide unbiased and partial assistance.
The system, which mostly depends on donations by prominent citizens, social media fund-raising, and international intervention in some cases, has put a smile on the faces of many Nigerians who needed urgent support.
Daily Episode interviewed one of the top supporting stars in Northern Nigeria, Ummusalma Nasir, who founded the Ummusalma Nasir CARES Foundation, where many found relief from her popular fund-raising campaign for patients suffering from numerous diseases who could not afford to pay for their surgery or medical bills.
According to her, since I was a teenager, I understood the plight of patients from disadvantaged families, especially those suffering from life-threatening diseases, those with special needs, and victims of social violence, without being supported or helped in many cases.
However, many Nigerians have died of various diseases without being noticed, especially those in rural communities who lack access to hospitals and supporting hands or NGOs. Such a situation inspires me to invest in helping the needy selflessly.
I can recall how I helped a student who could not afford to pay his school fees. I posted it on my Facebook wall, and many donated money. I also remember how Malam Ibrahim Bature motivated me to get my NGO registered, which I adhere to as it is my lifelong dream.
My foundation promotes education without borders, particularly for girls’ child education, which I define as a task to take our girls off the streets and ensure they receive the education they deserve. She continued
Providing our girls with the desired education can solve many issues in the country because women produce both positive and negative generations in Nigeria and globally.
Although we have been encountering challenges, especially in the northern region where people are being judgemental towards women in the humanitarian field, working class, or working as activists who defend the oppressed.
But despite that, we have identified and are fighting for the freedom of our girls. We intervene in several issues bedeviling humans, especially those with special needs, including the sick and the orphans, with a significant number of children, women, and the elderly with social media fund-raising and other support against all odds.
The reason why people need to invest in humanitarian activities
The Nigerian economy has been battling to survive recession amidst the long fall of GDP and constant browning by both the state government and the federal governments to fund budget and other projects.
The health sector is underfunded in Nigeria, despite the country’s population not enrolling and sometimes denied access to national insurance scheme.
However, in the year 2021, about N547 billion was allocated to the health sector in the country’s budget. This budget is allocated to represent health coverage in a country where over 250 million citizens live with a fluctuating economy, a growing number of quack health personnel in the private sector, and an increasing threat of fake and substandard drugs in circulation for consumption in the country.
Daily Episode understands the significant number of citizens dying in hospitals across the country for lack of medical support, especially the victims of armed conflicts and violence in the north-west, north-east, and some parts of the north-central and south-east regions.
Insecurity has drained the economies of those in rural communities, for the escalating insecurity has displaced and pushed thousands to suffer abject poverty and hunger. However, both the victims and rural communities are in desperate need of intervention and humanitarian support from both national and international communities, as the government’s relief materials are looted in most cases while recognizing only a few identified victims.
Therefore, Nigerians should invest in humanitarian services and support to reduce the high casualty and death rate caused by a lack of financial resources in healthcare services.
Identifying Fraudsters: Soliciting Donations Through a Popular Social Media Fund-Raising Campaign
A major threat to the Nigerian humanitarian service sector is the emergence of fraudsters who disguise themselves as humanitarian organizations or individuals with access to patients and victims, sometimes disguising as direct patients using fake or hacked social media handles.
According to Ummulkhairi, their emergence in recent times has endangered the lives of the needy. Many times, people circulate pictures of dead or healed victims with the names of popular humanitarian organisations or individuals.
As a result, there has been a significant drop in fundraising in recent years.
Although at Ummusalma Nasir CARES Foundation, we are trusted by our donors, and our transparency of what we generate and track of how we spend from Kobo to thousands and millions matters.
Although the patients and victims are also part of the problem sometimes, they will come to you and go to others, but we understand their plight in seeking money to be free of pain. However, they mostly run to the fraudsters who generate money in their names and who will never give them a penny.
Therefore, I advise Nigerians to be careful of whom they trust. Ensure they track and check the profiles and track records of anyone who comes for donations, be it religious, non-governmental organizations, or individuals.
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