Founder of Givers Supportive Foundation, Ologbenla Babatunde Smith, has visited the homes of 10 elderly persons to give them relief materials to cope with the tough conditions of the rainy season.
The NGO, on July 1st, visited the 10 aged people to show them love and support, given the challenges associated with the rainy season, particularly for elderly ones in the society. The senior citizens were excited with the love shown them by the Givers Supportive Foundation.
Speaking in one of the homes of the elderly people, Smith said that GSF provided relief materials to more than 200 families during the lockdown induced by the global coronavirus pandemic.
Smith, who set up the not-for-profit organization in 2018, said he is in the business of seeing more Nigerians escape the poverty trap, hence his involvement in putting in place a foundation to cater to the basic needs of the needy.
“We helped more people during the COVID-19 lockdown. We shared foodstuff, such as semolina, spaghetti and noodles, to over 200 families every day. We are planning to improve more in our area of giving and supporting the less privileged and in reaching out to many people who are sick or handicapped,” he said.
The foundation has been in the vanguard of the crusade against hunger, poverty, deprivation and sickness amongst the less privileged ones in the country, as part of Smith’s commitment to supporting the global action against lack; one of the core focuses of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
In less than three years, GSF Foundation has done quite a lot and Smith, a certified public administrator from the Lokoja-based Salem University, says there is no going back as the NGO is committed to breaking new grounds in philanthropy.
“We have helped many people suffering from kidney and heart diseases, breast cancer and hydrocephalus, all of whom had successful surgeries,” he stated.
While identifying inadequate funds and lack of trust and transparency as two major hurdles facing charity organizations in the country, he called on the government to support more hospitals by equipping them adequately and, in turn, support NGOs to reach out to as many people in need of assistance.
Smith further enjoined well-placed Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of giving, saying, philosophically, “help comes from anywhere; whatsoever help you render today will come back to you tomorrow. Who knows, the person you help today can be of help to you tomorrow.”
Speaking of the attitude of Nigerians towards philanthropy, he said: “When many people see the cases we posted on our Facebook page, they are always touched, and many of them are willing to help and support through donations.”
While taking stock of the progress report of the foundation in the past two years, he also reviewed the NGO’s long-term objectives this way: “We remain committed to offering support to the less privileged, the sick people and the extremely poor, and we will continue to provide opportunities for them, and these include widows, widowers and orphans in motherless children homes.”
On the foundation’s plan for the rest of the year, he said: “We have been able to visit over five states. In December 2021, we will be going to Lagos State to do more for the less privileged.”
