By OBASEKI ANTHONY, Benin

As part of their efforts to provide succor to the needy members of the society, officials of the Victims Support Fund (VSF) recently visited Edo State where they extended Covid-19 palliatives to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and vulnerable Nigerians.

Led by the Chairperson of the VSF Task Force on COVID-19, Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, officials of the non-governmental organisation in company of the wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, visited the IDPs Camp Uhogua in Benin where they met briefly with some of the management staff of the Camp.

A few hours later, the children and adult residents of IDPs Camp Uhogua went into jubilation when they received the delivery of the food items that were donated by the NGO.

The VSF palliative included 200 bags set that contained 10kg of rice, 10kg of beans, 10kg of garri, 4kg of vegetable oil and two small packets of salt per bag. While the Management of the IDPs Camp Uhogua were in the process of sharing the delivered palliative to the residents; some touched officials of VSF donated some extra bags of foodstuff to the amazement of the Management and residents of IDPs Camp Uhogua.

Responding to this kind gesture, the Coordinator of International Christian Centre (ICCM) and Coordinator of the Camp, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho said the Victims Support Fund are Godsent for coming at this very critical time.

He said the lockdown caused by Covid-19 has impacted negatively on the welfare of the residents of the Camp. Pastor Folorunsho and the Management Team of the Camp were deeply touched by what they regarded as a divine intervention.

As they thanked the officials of VSF and the Edo State government that was ably represented by the wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki.

It currently cost about three hundred thousand naira to prepare a meal for the four thousand five hundred and seventy-five residents of the Camp. Though the VSF intends to visit most states in Nigeria, their visit to the IDPs Camp Uhogua was a response to the SOS correspondence they recently received from CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development).

A highly elated National Coordinator of CSED, ex-international, Mr. Edema Fuludu, later stated that every effort put in touching the vulnerable in the society is the rent we pay to God for allowing us live on planet earth. Mr Fuludu stated that though CSED’s work is mainly sport/educational intervention, “we cannot afford to walk on by, when the children/youths we work with are in dire need of food and basic daily necessities hence our decision to contact VSF and other organizations to seek for their assistance in complementing the good efforts of the Edo State government in meeting the needs of the residents of IDPs Uhogua.”

Mr. Fuludu urged public-spirited individuals, corporate organisations and NGOs to continue to provide palliatives to the IDPs and other needy members of the society, as this is the only way they (vulnerable Nigerians) can survive the hunger and social isolation that has been induced by COVID-19.