Heal, Nourish and Empower, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), says it has initiated a humanitarian program to empower 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Katsina State.
The Convener of the Project, Hajia Fatima Mamman-Daura stated this at the inauguration of the program on Friday in Katsina.
She said the program targeted 1,000 persons displaced by the banditry, adding the organization had earlier provided humanitarian support to 1,000 IDPs in the state.
“The project is not just about providing empowerment items, it is more of a holistic intervention towards addressing psychological, mental and physical trauma of the IDPs.
“About 175 persons benefited from surgical interventions funded by the NGO at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina. We are now going into psychosocial support and mental healthcare.
“In the area of school enrolment, we started with about 30 children. We will also engage children of the IDPs that are non-literate in basic skills before they can enroll into conventional schools,” she said.
According to Mamman-Daura, the nutritional component of the project focuses at treatment of Severe and Acute Malnutrition (SAM) as well as food support.
She said that beneficiaries of its vocational training and other small trade project would receive power generators, deep freezers, grinding and sewing machines.
The organization, she said, would strengthen collaboration with relevant players to expand the scope of its program to support more people in other states of the North-West.
Mamman-Daura said Katsina has the highest number of IDPs in the region, hence the need to address their physical and psychological trauma as well as enroll their children in schools.
Gov. Aminu Masari assured his administration continuing support to development organizations to enhance humanitarian services to people affected by banditry in the state.
Represented by Sani Danlami, Commissioner for Sports, Youth and Social Development, Masari commended the gesture, saying it would impact positively on the lives of IDPs in the state.
