NGO Urges More Attention To Rural Areas

The African Centre
for Advocacy and Human Development (ACAHD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has appealed to other NGOs to focus more on rural areas rather than concentrating their activities in cities.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mr Paul Adepelumi, made the call in an interview with  our correspondent on Sunday in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
He said, “the rural polulace need more attention than those in the cities because they are the roots.’’
However, Adepelumi said, most NGOs concentrate their efforts in the cities rather than the grassroots where their help was needed most.
He added that, “because of the poverty level in rural areas, most dwellers have become victims of criminal activities such as assault, rape, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
“And that is exactly where NGOs need to move and work so as to educate, re-orientate and make the people self-reliant.’’
Adepelumi also advised NGOs to ensure that funds raised from international donors were spent judiciously for what the funds were meant for in order not to give the country a bad image.
He said “although NGOs are facing serious challenges in raising funds, especially from UN, only those who are credible, committed and able to their programmes can get funds.’’
The NGO boss recalled that with support from the UN, ACADH trained more than 425 traditional rulers in the Niger Delta area on conflict resolution in 2012.
He added that no fewer than 30 communities in Ondo State had benefitted from its activities, where over 50 sewing machines and 400 cooking stoves were distributed to the people.