real-life experiences in the IDP camps that dot some states of the country are dehumanizing; a group of persons who, through no fault of theirs, are pushed to endure emotionally crushing conditions that belie the fact that they live in a country that is largely at peace. In fact, in some cases, the camps are disbanded in a manner that leaves much to be desired and the displaced persons whom many now describe as ‘refugees’ are forced to integrate in the host communities that they find themselves in. The result? Being alien in those communities, they live in abject poverty – not owning land and having to work from field to field of indigenous farmers for pittance. Indeed, life is hard!Just as the adults have to endure outright inhuman conditions, most of their children and wards are left without hope of ever seeing the four walls of a classroom if the crises that led to their displacement linger further. For IDPs at the Gassa and Ryom IDP Camps in Plateau State, some vital aid came the way of their children from BO Foundation and other Individuals. The aid provided some educational materials for the children but that seems to be a very long time ago!

Let us bear in mind that most of the IDPs deserted villages now occupied by Fulani herdsmen and no one in authority seems to care about this or reverse such illegal occupation. The herdsmen attacks have continued and left several lives, farmlands and property destroyed. Then displacement followed. Then, as if these are not bad enough, occupation of their communal homes by the same people who attacked their communities!

 The dehumanising conditions these displaced persons have been left to endure in the IDP camps, some of them since 2013, raises questions about the true value concerned authorities place on their wellbeing. Added to this, some of the IDPs, including women and little children, have narrowly escaped death in the hands of Fulani herdsmen twice or more! To the IDPs, the apparent lack of safety in their land of birth and now, in the IDP camps, is unnerving.

For these IDPs, life has become a terrible tragedy! They don’t trust governments' directives for them to go home with promises of security because they had followed such directives previously only for their attackers to return with greater boldness without any government protection. So, they are not safe in their home communities and life in the IDP Camps is horrible! Yet, many of them who seek integration in their host communities have to make do with terrible accommodation in uncompleted buildings, remodeled animal sheds, cramped living spaces etc.

 

What The Platform Foundation Has Done for the IDPs So Far:

 The Platform Foundation has been working closely with the IDPs since 2017 at the Gassa, Heipang and Ryom IDP Camps in Plateau State. We have worked assiduously to attract assistance for the IDPs in the following ways:

- providing food items to some degree;

- paying house rent for some of them;

- giving them relief materials in form of household items and clothing;

- start up capital and training for small and medium-size businesses;

- processing admission and paying school fees for many children in the camp; and,

- providing text books and stationeries for the children.

Our strategy at The Platform Foundation is to encourage people to rise and take responsibility for their problems and the problems around them.

Besides IDPs, The Platform Foundation is also a channel through which general public-focussed projects are executed. In this respect, we partner with individuals, groups and organisations to enlighten people to take responsibility for the change they need in their environment. For this to happen, though, kind hearted men and women would have to help in creating an environment that supports such self initiative.

With this, all of us will rest assured that we have helped to raise a responsible generation of entrepreneurs (including farmers). Therefore, it is partnership with intentionally compassionate persons like you that will give these IPDs a means to take care of themselves and saving our society of further avoidable distress.

 

What You Can Do for the IDPs:

 The solution to the unpleasant circumstances the IDPs endure is for public-spirited individuals and organisations to resolve to help alleviate the living conditions of fellow human beings in dire

conditions.

The Platform Foundation contemplates that fellow Nigerians will care, in real and practical terms, to help fellow compatriots going through really difficult times to start their own businesses, especially agriculture.

In this wise, we are seeking 50 (fifty) compassionate people to support 20 IDPs who are determined to go into farming by providing N10,000 (ten thousand naira) each. This sum of N500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) will go into renting land for the farmers, buying fertilizers and a pumping machine to help them start farming and grow food for themselves for one year. (Dry season is the hardest time to farm as farm land must be located in specific places).

Staff of The Platform Foundation will be available to give professional advice, train and support the farmers to ensure that their business is economically viable, profitable and sustainable to reverse the trend of long years of needless abandonment.

We sincerely hope that you are among the intentionally compassionate men and women who will be glad to reverse the harrowing living conditions of these aspiring farmers. Also, in doing so, you will change the trajectory of the destinies of about 350 children of schooling age at the Gassa, Heipang and Riyom IDP Camps.

Donate Here

NGN: https://paystack.com/pay/theplatformfoundation

USD: https://paystack.com/pay/theplatformfoundationusd/

Bank: The Platform Foundation, GTBank, 0459255533.

Copy Writer DDwest