Customs, Bella Amor Foundation Distribute Relief Materials to Almajiri Schools in Kano
The Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has distributed mattresses, clothing and food items to no fewer than 4,000 Almajiri children in Kano State as part of efforts to improve their welfare and living conditions.
The intervention, implemented under the foundation’s Boy Child Life Matters Initiative and More Feed Project, marked the second phase of its support programme for vulnerable Almajiri children in the state.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, President and Founder of the Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, Ambassador Mirabel Etuk, said the initiative was driven by concerns over the poor living conditions of many Almajiri children across northern Nigeria.
Etuk said the foundation had visited the children in May, when it distributed clothing and food items, but observed that many of them were sleeping on bare floors and broken mats.
She said the discovery prompted her to approach the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to seek support for a second phase of the intervention.
«“I realised that their sleeping condition was really poor. I noticed they were all sleeping on bare floors, even broken towels,” Etuk said.»
According to her, the response from the Customs Service resulted in the provision of mattresses, additional clothing and food items for the children.
She explained that the intervention was not limited to immediate relief, stressing that the foundation also planned to introduce skills empowerment programmes to improve the future prospects of vulnerable boys.
Etuk described the partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service as a significant development for the foundation, commending the Service for supporting vulnerable communities through its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
She noted that the Customs Service had also supported projects involving school renovations, assistance to vulnerable persons and the provision of shelters.
The foundation’s president disclosed that Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation had implemented similar interventions in several states, including Lagos, Ogun and Kano.
She said the organisation focuses on child welfare advocacy, combating gender-based violence and drug abuse, while implementing programmes such as the More Feed Project, Boy Child Life Matters Initiative and Girl Child Life Matters Initiative.
Etuk also commended the proprietors and teachers of the Almajiri schools, popularly known as Sangayas, for their commitment to the education and welfare of the children, while calling for greater government and institutional support.
She urged authorities, development organisations and other stakeholders to provide the children with improved access to food, clothing, education, skills training and other basic necessities.
«“Children are the future, but these children right now need more nurturing and more tutoring. They need more than they are getting right now,” she said.»
She stressed that improving the welfare of Almajiri children should be treated as a collective responsibility, noting that sustained and targeted interventions could provide them with a more dignified childhood and better opportunities for the future.
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Also speaking, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone ‘B’, ACG Nsikan Patrick Umoh, commended the Director of the Islamic School (Tsangaya), Malam Nafiu Muhammed, and his staff for their dedication to the education and welfare of the Almajiri students.
Umoh said their efforts were helping to shape the lives of the students and prepare them to become productive citizens capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.
She noted that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was aware of the commitment of the school management and had therefore supported the partnership as part of the Service’s contribution to national development.
The ACG said the latest intervention was also in fulfilment of an earlier commitment by the Service to continuously support the school with essential social welfare items aimed at improving the students’ living and learning conditions.
She, however, stressed that the Customs Service would deploy appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that the relief materials reached the intended beneficiaries and were used for their designated purposes.
«“The CGC has identified that you, the Mallams, cannot handle this responsibility alone without public support. That is why he activated this initiative to boost your morale and appreciate your efforts in bringing up these children,” Umoh said.»
Also speaking, Comptroller MP Ibrahim, National Coordinator of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Nigeria Customs Service, disclosed that the Service would soon deploy medical doctors to assess the health conditions of the students and recommend appropriate interventions to improve their overall well-being.
She urged the school coordinators to ensure that the relief materials were properly distributed and utilised in accordance with established ethical standards to guarantee a lasting impact on the beneficiaries.
According to her, the Customs Service’s CSR framework is structured around six priority areas: education, healthcare, social investment, environmental sustainability, food security and support for the creative economy.
Ibrahim explained that the framework was designed to strengthen communities hosting Customs formations and provide targeted interventions in areas where they were most needed.
She added that the current intervention aligned with one of the Service’s core CSR priorities, assuring that the Customs Service would continue to identify other areas requiring intervention.
In his remarks, the Director of the Islamic School (Tsangaya), Malam Nafiu Muhammed, expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the humanitarian gesture and distribution of relief materials to the students.
Muhammed assured the Service that the school management would ensure the items were properly utilised and that only the intended beneficiaries benefited from the intervention.
He, however, appealed for further support from the Customs Service in critical areas, including the installation of solar panels, provision of electric fans and supply of medications, to improve the welfare of the students and create a more conducive environment for learning.
By PRNigeria
