By Hassan Ibrahim
The Ajoke Asiyat Afolabi Foundation has appealed to the Kaduna State Government, northern leaders and politicians to provide stronger institutional support to enable the foundation to expand its education and skills-acquisition programmes for children and youths in Zaria and surrounding communities.
The appeal was made by the Northern Regional Coordinator of the foundation, Hajiya Adama Haruna Abdul malik, during an interview with journalists in Zaria.
Hajiya Abdul malik explained that the foundation has been in operation for over 15 years, during which it has provided educational support, vocational training and humanitarian services to more than 15,000 beneficiaries across different communities in Northern Nigeria.
According to her, the foundation focuses on education, skills development and healthcare, with programmes designed to uplift vulnerable children, youths and adults.
“We operate an education programme for children, alongside vocational training initiatives that equip youths and adults with practical skills to improve their livelihoods,” she said.
She added that the foundation also runs a healthcare support programme, which assists underserved individuals by providing medical treatment and financial support for prescribed drugs they cannot afford.
Hajiya Adama noted that the foundation plays an active humanitarian role during the month of Ramadan, distributing bags of rice and other essential food items to families in need to ease hardship during the holy month.
She further disclosed that the foundation operates a non-religious school system with both morning and afternoon sessions, as well as various skills-acquisition programmes aimed at promoting self-reliance among young people.
Despite its achievements, she said the foundation is faced with limited resources and rising operational costs, which have made it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for its services.
“We are doing our best with the limited resources available to us, but with government support, we can expand our programmes, improve our facilities and reach many more children and youths who urgently need assistance,” she stated.
Hajiya Abdoumalik therefore appealed to the Kaduna State Government to support the foundation through grants, policy backing, inclusion in social intervention programmes and the provision of training facilities, stressing that such support would significantly enhance youth empowerment and social development in the region.
She also called on private organisations, philanthropists and well-meaning individuals, particularly from the northern region, to complement government efforts by supporting the foundation’s humanitarian initiatives.
She expressed appreciation to the founder of the Ajoke Asiyat Afolabi Foundation Barrister Taiwo A. Afolabi for sustained commitment to humanitarian service and reaffirmed the foundation’s dedication to transparency, accountability and service to humanity.
According to her, increased government and political support would greatly strengthen the foundation’s impact in Zaria and beyond.
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