The Mojisola Grace Humanitarian Foundation has called for collective action by individuals, organisations and communities to tackle poverty, hunger and diseases and restore hope, dignity and opportunities to vulnerable Nigerians.

The foundation made the call at its official unveiling and volunteers’ retreat held at the Ibadan Business School, Ibadan, where it unveiled a five-year agenda focused on humanitarian assistance, education, healthcare, skills acquisition, empowerment and community-based interventions.

The founder of the foundation, Mojisola Grace Balogun, said the foundation was established on the conviction that every human life had value and that everyone deserved an opportunity to live with dignity, hope and purpose.

Balogun said the organisation would seek to go beyond providing immediate assistance by empowering people, strengthening communities and creating sustainable impact.

She said its interventions would cover humanitarian needs, education, healthcare, youth and women empowerment, social development and other areas where its intervention could create lasting value.

“This Foundation is not about one person. It is about people. It is about service. It is about hope. And it is about the difference we can make together,” she said.

Balogun said the challenges confronting communities could not be solved by government or any single organisation alone, stressing the need for compassion, collaboration, responsible leadership and a willingness to serve.

She urged individuals, corporate organisations, community leaders, volunteers and other stakeholders to support initiatives aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable people.

“Our prayer and commitment are that every initiative undertaken through this Foundation will touch lives, restore dignity, inspire hope, and leave communities better than we found them,” she said.

The founder also urged Nigerians to develop a culture in which vulnerable people were not forgotten, saying success should be measured not only by personal achievements but also by the positive difference made in the lives of others.

Presenting the foundation’s vision and five-year agenda, a chartered accountant, Akinsola Alex Ayinla, said the organisation was established to support people experiencing difficult circumstances and help them attain greater dignity, stability and self-reliance.

Ayinla said the foundation’s vision was to contribute to a society where people were not left behind because of poverty, hunger, illness or other difficult circumstances.

He said its approach would go beyond occasional charity to include interventions capable of creating sustainable improvements in the lives of beneficiaries.

According to him, the foundation would focus on “giving, caring and empowerment” while ensuring that its interventions responded to genuine needs and preserved the dignity of beneficiaries.

He said: “We should not only ask, ‘What can we give?’ We should also ask, ‘What difference will what we give make in the life of the person receiving it?'”

Ayinla said the foundation’s mission was to stand with poor, vulnerable and less privileged people by identifying genuine needs and providing meaningful support.

He listed its priority areas as humanitarian assistance, education, skills acquisition and vocational training, healthcare support, empowerment and community-based interventions.

On the five-year agenda, he said the first year would focus on strengthening the foundation’s structures, policies, records and systems, while the second year would involve strengthening its programmes and expanding community outreach.

He said the third year would focus on strategic partnerships and sponsorship, while the fourth year would pursue responsible expansion to reach more communities as the organisation’s capacity increased.

According to him, the fifth year would focus on building a stronger and more sustainable foundation with clear evidence of the lives reached and impact created.

“Our aim is not simply to become bigger. Our aim is to become stronger, more credible and more impactful,” he said.

Ayinla stressed the importance of partnerships in achieving the foundation’s objectives, saying it could not address the challenges facing vulnerable communities alone.

He said the organisation was open to collaboration with corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, philanthropists, professionals, community leaders, government institutions and volunteers.

He added that partnership should not be limited to financial contributions, noting that individuals and organisations could contribute through skills, services, equipment, knowledge, time and professional connections.

In her remarks, the foundation’s matron and entrepreneur, Mrs Oluwatosin Akande, described the initiative as “the beginning of a shared promise” and a step in the right direction.

Akande said achieving the foundation’s vision would require collective effort, including the passion of volunteers, wisdom from elders and generosity from well-meaning individuals.

“It is the beginning of a shared promise. It is a step in the right direction. To actualise this vision requires a collective effort. It is a passion to volunteer, wisdom of elders and generosity of kind-hearted persons,” she said.

There were also goodwill messages and keynote addresses from partners, supporters, collaborators and other stakeholders at the event.