IBILE Foundation, a Lagos based citizen sector organisation promoting social initiatives for the general good and social welfare of the people of Lagos has launched the COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund.
The fund was set up to provide funds for essential daily food items, personal hygiene products and prescribed medicines to the most vulnerable groups in Lagos State who are hardest hit by the outbreak of the Coronavirus and economic effect, owing to measures taken to curtail the spread.
Working in partnership with Lagos State Civil Society Partnership, LACSOP and Innovation Matters, the Foundation has commended providing financial support to vulnerable families and individuals in Lagos by direct transfer to bank accounts of beneficiaries.
The direct-to-bank option was preferred to distribution of relief food packages which has met with a lot of challenges, including, hijacking by hoodlums and thugs and inability to maintain social distancing guidelines during distribution.
The foundation decided to identify and support the most vulnerable persons in Lagos, families living in poverty, widows and single mothers, persons living with disabilities and old aged pensioners and informal daily paid workers who have lost their income and livelihood.
Working in partnership with the Lagos State Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, the foundation had already transferred N7,500.00 to the account of verified beneficiaries to enable them purchase essential food items, personal hygiene products, medication and PPEs.
Henry Balogun, Founder, Ibile Foundation explained that the first batch of beneficiaries have been credited with a sum of N7,500 each and the second batch would commence very soon.
He noted that IBILE Foundation which had earlier recruited over 300 volunteers has been working with its partner, JONAPWD to distribute food packages across the 20 LGAs in the state, but had to re-strategise following the risk faced by the distribution team.
He explained that, “some members of the distribution team have been attacked by hoodlums and when people gather together to collect the package, they violate the social and physical distancing rule. So, with the funds transfer, beneficiaries have direct access to their money without risk and those who cannot move around can also have access.”
He disclosed that efforts are being made to ensure that beneficiaries without bank account also benefit from the program. He added that, “we are partnering with Pay Attitude to be able to send money to those without active accounts but with an active mobile phone number.”
He thereafter appealed to well meaning Lagosians to support the foundation in its efforts to “Help Everyone Live Protected in Lagos”#HELPLagos by supporting the foundation.
Donations to the IBILE Foundation COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund can be made online via http://covid19fund.ng/donate