How ACCIF, TYDF are Restoring the Hopes of IDPs in Nigeria

​By Alex Uangbaoje, Abuja 

Forty five days (45) after they completed their skills acquisition training in various trades by All Children Charity International Foundation (ACCIF) in partnership with TY Danjuma Foundation, and were empowered and equipped with startup equipments, 55 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who benefited from the project, said their lives have been repositioned for good. 

Some of them spoke with Newsweb Express ‎when the media team of ACCIF, paid an assessment visit to New Kuchingoro and Pegi-kuje IDPs settlement camps in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to ascertain how they have been able to improve their livelihood with their skills.

It could be recalled that during their graduation and hand over ceremony, on 08 December 2016, Executive Director, ACCIF, Barrister Ranti Daudu, had said that her organisation will continue to monitor the progress of the beneficiaries and announce to the world their success stories and development. 

She also charged them to ensure they fully utilise the materials provided to them and also encouraged them to use their skills to train and transform other IDPs and willing Nigerians in their various camps and beyond. 

This, according to our observation is yielding it’s desired fruit as ACCIF has kept its word by going back to check on them and the beneficiaries have not also on their own failed in the advice given to them by their benefactor. 

As as at the time of this report, ‎over 61 people are currently ‎undergoing training‎ in various trades at both camps, being provided by the beneficiaries. The idea according to ACCIF, is to have each beneficiary of the project, train at least 10 persons which will bring to a total number of 550 IDPs to be trained by the end of 2017.

‎Apart from equipping other IDPs like them, the financial status of the beneficiaries have also changed from being dependants to providers, this is because they can now carter for their families and other IDPs around them. 

‎The beneficiaries also told Newsweb Express that the TYDF/ACCIF Project 2016 has greatly impacted their lives, helping them to solve the issue of  joblessness, because the start-up packs given to them has kept them occupied and productive as against their earlier idle situation in the camp.‎

They revealed that they are now engaged in producing different types and style of products for commercial purposes and for family consumption, in addition to other activities such as farming and other petty trade to complement their income.

The beneficiaries did not only show proof of the knowledge they were impacted with in the various skills they learnt during the 7-months intensive training period of the project. They also explained that they can now on their own make their products from start to finish without the help of anyone as a result of the intensive training they received from the TYDF/ACCIF skills acquisition project trainers. 

Good example of such proof of knowledge are those who benefited from the Welding technology, who are now contracted to fabricate iron rafters, windows and doors for the EYN Church at Pegi-kuje camp, being built by missionaries from the Uited State of America (US) for the IDPs in the area.

‎Speaking on the skills of the welders, Host Pastor of the church,  Rev. Yakubu B. Maiva, who himself is an IDP from Chibok LGA of Borno state, said they work as though they have been on the job for a long time.

He added, “the work started November 7, 2016, by January, 2017, the graduates of the TYDF/ACCIF project were contracted to construct the iron rafters, both for windows and doors for the church, and they have done a very good job.”

Rev. Yakubu, called on all well meaning ‎Nigerians to imitate the philanthropic effort of TYDF/ACCIF to help transform the lives of millions of IDPs who have lost almost everything they have in life to insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, saying, TYDF and ACCIF  are bringing new lease of life and restoring the hopes of IDPs in Nigeria.