ASATTAHIR INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION Participated in the Media Workshop Organized by the Dannish Refugee Council (DRC) on the 27th June, 2024 at Pinnacle Resort and Guest Inn, Sokoto. As part of the review of its activities after one year of presence in the North-west, the Danish Refugee Council conducted a Media Workshop as reflections on its activities, achievements, challenges and future engagements in the region.
As the Implementating Partner of the DRC in the North-west, particularly Sokoto and Zamfara states, ASATTAHIR participated and supported DRC in the dissemination of information and receiving feedbacks from the media on its activities.
AIF’s team was led by the Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of ASATTAHIR International Foundation Aliyu Sidi Attahiru who expressed joy and profound gratitude to DRC and relevant stakeholders for the impact the humanitarian interventions is making in the region with the support of DRC.
While assuring of AIF’s continuous commitment to responding to the humanitarian and protection needs of the displaced populations, he called for more partnership and collaborative efforts in the northwest to minimize the shocks IDPs go through
After registration, opening remarks and introduction, the Head of the DRC team Mr. Samson Peter Ayok gave an overview of DRC as an International Nongovernmental Organisation working in more than forty countries around the world and focusing largely on refugees, displaced persons and other categories of vulnerable people.
He reported that the platform has been working in the North-east of Borno and Adamawa states in the past ten years and decided to expand to the North-west because of the increased and mounting challenges of humanitarian crisis in the region.
In his remarks, he commended ASATTAHIR International Foundation, who supported DRC as its Implementing Partner in Sokoto and Zamfara states. He revealed that across the locations of DRC’s interventions, ASATTAHIR has been diligent in the execution of various activities, particularly through Rapid Needs Assessment, mapping of of prospective beneficiaries, stakeholders and community engagements, advocacy visits as well as distribution of relief materials to displaced persons across locations in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
On its part, ASATTAHIR International Foundation through its Executive Secretary, Prof. Yahaya Tanko Baba, provided an overview of its activities before its engagement with DRC and provided account of its partnership and collaboration with DRC.
Prof. Yahaya Tanko Baba reflected on the various humanitariani activities of the Foundation in the areas of food and nutrition, health, education, WASH and psychosocial support for IDPs and orphans across the state. These activities undoubtedly attracted the attention of DRC and influenced the partnership and collaboration of the two platforms.
The Executive Secretary of the Foundation also provided detailed account of the preparatory and field activities that culminated to the determination of various locations of IDPs, mapping of beneficiaries, community engagements, screening of beneficiaries as well as distribution of Shelter Kits, Nonfood Items and Hygeine Kits to many Households.
In the breakdown of the activities, Prof. Baba revealed that nearly two hundred households benefited from Shelter Kits, Non-Food Items and Hygiene Kits at Ramin Kura, Guiwa Eka and Bodinga IDP Camps in Sokoto state.
On the other hand, over One Thousand Five Hundred Households benefited from these relief materials at Tangaza and environs. At Kaura Namoda in Zamfara state, the Foundation supported DRC in the distribution of Shelter rehabilitation kits, Non-Food Items and Hygiene Kits to more than four thousand Households affected by violent conflicts in Zurmi and Kaura Namoda axis.
The most recent partnership between AIF and DRC at the time of the Media Workshop was at Isa Local Government, where nearly two thousand Households were targeted as beneficiaries of the relief packages for humanitarian assistance and support. In all of these locations, the exercises were successful and impactful.
Thereafter, representatives of various media organisations including electronic and print media platforms gave their verdicts of the DRC activities and engagements in the North-west and charged both DRC and the local partners to engage the media even more in the conduct of their activities.
They stressed the need for increased awareness and enlightenment of the general public about the quantum of humanitarian crisis generated by conflicts and the need to educate the people on best practices and conduct in emergency situations such as the crisis in the North-west.
The workshop was concluded with the call on the media to intensify efforts in linking up with stakeholders in emergency and humanitarian sectors for collaboration and support towards the success of various interventions in the North-west region.
