Committed to alleviating the plight of the estimated 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDP) in Nigeria, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, led by Mrs. Toyin Saraki, is proud to be a sponsor of the “Climb with Remi” expedition – a daring initiative where six Nigerian women climb to the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, to amplify global attention towards the needs of internally displaced persons in Nigeria, most particularly women, children and the elderly.
Led by Mrs. Remi Abere, the expedition up the Kilimanjaro Mountain will raise fund for IDPs in Nigeria and create awareness around the challenges facing those who have been displaced due to conflict. In addition to Mrs. Remi Abere – a fifty year old mother of five, the six-woman delegation selflessly embarking on the seven-day climb include wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs. Funsho Amosun and three-term House of Representatives member, Hon. Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
To empower women in need, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s ‘Maternal Monday’ Campaign specifically delivers traction in reproductive, maternal newborn, child and adolescent health goals from pregnancy, immunisation, breastfeeding and nutrition to adolescence and womanhood; focusing on the prevention of child marriage, retention of girls in education, and eradication of gender violence. The Maternal Monday Campaign also focuses on the changing health needs of older women – who are often marginalized within healthcare systems in Africa.
Recent research has shown that older people are vulnerable to malnutrition in humanitarian contexts. Due to their age, they have specific nutritional needs such as easily digestible and palatable food. In famine and displacement, where people are dependent on food distribution, older people often have difficulty accessing the distribution, or difficulty transporting rations home. Despite these unique vulnerabilities, older people are neglected as a group in need of specific nutritional or food assistance.
Commending Mrs. Abere for her bravery and dedication to providing hope and support to the millions of women and children in IDP camps in Nigeria, Mrs. Toyin Saraki has urged women around the world to work together to empower other women, thereby contributing to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3, whose objective is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.”
Earlier this year, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa team, led by Mrs. Saraki, and Her Excellency Mrs. Aisha Buhari visited the Damare IDP camp and St Joseph’s Catholic Mission in Adamawa State to donate safe delivery kits “Mama Kits” and other nutritional/medicinal products in order to address the maternal health challenges facing displaced mothers in Nigeria.
By sponsoring a “Climb with Remi” climber and creating awareness of the initiative, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa aims to give internally displaced persons a hope for a brighter, healthier future
