Today 23rd March 2023, ASATTAHIR International Foundation (AIF) received the Medical Activity Manager of Médecins San Frontières (MSF) in Sokoto, Dr. Gautam Harigovind.
Dr. Harigovind was received by the Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Aliyu Sidi Attahiru at the corporate headquarters of the Foundation. In his remarks, Dr. Harigovind stated that the visit was part of MSF’s Rapid Response Unit’s (RRU) strategy for exploring new modalities for effective response to the health and nutritional needs of the people of Sokoto state.
He further outlined some of MSF’s interventions in Sokoto that include capacity building, sensitization of the local communities on the causes, risks and management of Noma disease, free facial reconstruction surgeries to patients of Noma disease, reversal of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children through medical and dietary rehabilitation interventions among others.
The Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of the Foundation Aliyu Sidi Attahiru thanked Dr. Harigovind for the timely visit. He stated that the Foundation maintained it’s commitment (since 2011) to improving the quality of life of the people particularly the less privileged and the vulnerable groups in the state and beyond, particularly in the areas of health, nutrition, economic empowerment, research and disaster risk management.
In the same vein, the Head of Programs and Research of the Foundation Rufus Yagkong outlined some of the thematic areas of the Foundation which aligns with those of MSF in health, nutrition, PLWDs, IDPs and economic empowerment. He also noted that the Foundation has wide coverage and has the capacity to reaching large number beneficiaries in the state. He recalled how the Foundation reached nearly fifty thousand people through its feeding program by 2022 alone.
Similarly, Dr. Garba Ibrahim of the Faculty of Arts, Department of Linguistics Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto who has been part and parcel of the Foundation expressed excitement over MSF’s visit. He stated clearly that although ASATTAHIR International Foundation has been able to cover much grounds in humanitarian interventions in the state even without donor support.
Dr. Harigovind was also shown some of the documented interventions by the Foundation across many spheres of people’s livelihood. The meeting ended with exchange of pleasantries and group photographs.
