Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in the county have been encouraged to seek other sources of funding of their activities internally when nothing comes from external sources that are supporting their operations.
The encouragement was made by the Executive Director of a renowned NGO operating in Gombe State, Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation, Mrs Grace Samuel, at the backdrop that many well-meaning NGOs are now folding up shortly after starting up as a result of lack of funding from international donor organisations.
Grace Samuel was speaking at an end of year dinner organised to honour staff and partners of her NGO who made sacrifices and contributed to the growth and development of Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation held last night at the multipurpose hall of the Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
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She described as unfortunate, a situation where well-meaning NGO’s in the State will begin activities that has a great impact on communities but will soon fold up for lack of funding.
She said, “Organisations need to be resilient and focused to be able to go far. In my case, I was so passionate about it to the extent that I used to run the organisation with my pension money before external funding started coming in after national and international organisations saw what we were doing”.
According to her, Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation has worked on several projects in Akko, Kaltungo, Balanga, Dukku, Yamaltu-Deba and Gombe Local Government Areas of the State as well as other bigger projects in Maiduguri, Borno State, where activities of insurgents have ravaged communities.
The Dinner also witnessed the presentation of gifts to some Staff in recognition of their hard work and contributions to the organisation.
Other highlights of the Dinner were the presentation of goodwill messages from sister organisations in the State such as Life and Hope Initiative, Lawanti Community Development Foundation and Child Protection Network.
In a response on behalf of those honoured, Mr Ibrahim Istifanus, while expressing gladness over the recognition, said that the gesture will spur them to do more for humanity and the growth of the organisation.
Speaking in an interview shortly after the event, Mrs Grace Samuel said that activities that excited her the most was seeing IDPs children from 6-15 years can now read and can express themselves, adolescents beginning to know more about their reproductive health and taking decisions for themselves as well as improving gender issues where boys now do house chores rather than leaving it to only girls among and many other issues.
and then