Humanitarian group supports Nasarawa community with donations

In an effort to alleviate hardship in Nigeria, a nongovernmental group has provided relief materials to residents of Masaka community in Karu Local Government Area and Wassa IDP camp in Apo, Abuja.

The support provided by the Ikang Relief Services Network (IRSN) included clothes, shoes, bags, and other items. IRSN is a Nigerian humanitarian organization with a mission to bring relief and comfort to vulnerable people across the country.

The group partnered with the Realm of Grace Church in Masaka for the project it tagged “Open Boutique”.

According to Effiong Eno, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of IRSN, the initiative has been running for several years, and all items provided are given free of charge to those in need.

“We have been in relief services for more than thirty years. We started this in 1993. We make those available to people free of charge. We do not charge anybody for anything they pick here. It’s free to them,” Mr Eno said.

Economic Hardship

Many Nigerian households are grappling with severe hardship after the government removed petrol and electricity subsidies and devlaued the naira.

The policies have significantly impacted living costs, with the price of petrol now at ₦1,100 per liter, compared to its previous price of ₦180. Food inflation has also risen sharply, with the inflation rate climbing to 39.16% in October, up from 31.52% recorded in October 2023, marking an upward trend consecutively in the past many months.

Additionally, the country’s security challenges, especially in the northern regions, have displaced many households, making it difficult for people to afford basic needs such as clothing, shoes, and food.

The initiative by IRSN became a lifeline for many in the community, as numerous residents expressed excitement and gratitude after receiving gifts from the group.

One of the beneficiaries, Agnes Goddy, highlighted the inclusive nature of the distribution, stating there was no religious or ethnic discrimination in sharing the items.

“Everybody in this community—Igbo, Hausa, Gbagyi, Muslims, and Christians—gets a gift. Anywhere you people picked these goods from, God in heaven will open more doors and continue to bless you all,” Mrs. Goddy said.

Another beneficiary, Gift Joel, expressed her gratitude and joy at being among those who received the items. She appealed for the initiative to continue to help vulnerable people in the country.

“I am a beneficiary of this great opportunity. I am very happy; at least my little child has something to go home with. I am very happy, and I am grateful to the organizers,” she said.

“My appeal is that this should not stop. It should continue for the less privileged. For those who are unable to get clothes for themselves or their children, I appeal that this initiative should continue,” Mrs. Joel added.

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Leo Asutagwan, a representative of the WASSA Missionary Field in Apo District, commended the Open Boutique project by the IRSN, describing it as human-centric. He also appealed to the organizers to include food items in future editions of the initiative.

“I want to thank God for the work Ikang Relief Services Network is doing here; they are impacting lives. What they are doing here is a charity mission and a platform to preach the Gospel. They are doing great work here by touching lives. The sharing of this clothing will go a long way in clothing, especially those in the mission fields and IDPs,” Mr. Asutagwan said.

“The clothing materials are good, but I want to appeal that subsequently, food items should be added. We know the situation in the country right now. Where I work, the IDPs can’t afford to feed themselves. As we know, it’s not easy to be forcefully relocated from your area to a new area,” he added.

Mr. Samuel, the Head of Volunteers in the community, highlighted the challenges of coordinating the distribution exercise, given the high demand for the items.

“I would say it’s not easy coordinating people, especially the vulnerable in the community. You know what it means to gather a lot of people who need these items. Of course, it’s going to be a lot of chaos. We thank God it was a successful journey and a successful selection of the beneficiaries,” Mr. Samuel said.

Beyond the Open Boutique project, which focuses on distributing clothing, shoes, and bags, IRSN is also recognized for its educational support initiatives. The organization reported assisting over 150 schoolchildren in the Papaladna community of Nasarawa State. The support included school fees, books, uniforms, sandals, and other essential schooling materials.

Ubon Etukakpan, the general overseer of Realms of Glory Church and a key partner of IRSN in this project emphasized that the initiative would continue periodically, given the joy and relief it has brought to beneficiaries.

He also expressed gratitude to the partners who contributed the materials for the exercise, acknowledging their role in making the outreach possible.