ONE major issue every non-governmental and non-profit charities face, is that of funding and collaboration. Bearing in mind the many needs within our various communities requiring attention, funding becomes the major tool for providing that change. In order to surmount this, partnership with other institutions is required. These institutions are the government, for providing the enabling environment; the private sector, for funding and the community for their support.

The success of HOPE worldwide Nigeria in the implementation of the different community projects in Nigeria is greatly hinged on its partnership with the Organized Private Sector (OPS). According to Mr. Steve Emeh, Snr. Communication/Public Affairs Manager, ‘We realized from the beginning of our intervention activities in Nigeria that we needed to develop an enduring partnership with the different stakeholders in the country’.

‘As an implementing agency, we equally realized that international funds are limited and time bound, so it is difficult to depend solely on them. In this realization, we decided to engage the Organized Private Sector for partnership in this venture.

In the past eleven years, we have engaged the private sector at different levels. As a growing economy, we realized many private organizations and businesses are desirous of contributing to social infrastructural development as a part of their corporate social responsibility, but do not know how to go about it. We first developed confidence in our operations through our transparency and accountability. These virtues have helped in endearing us to our different partners.

Our partners cut across the different sectors of the economy. Our first corporate partner was Statoil Nigeria Limited a Swiss oil exploring company operating in Nigeria. Through our partnership in 2006, we were able to carryout HIV/AIDS sensitization programme among in-school youths in 20 secondary schools, in Epe Local Government Area, one of the big fishing communities in the State. This was at a period when Epe recorded the highest HIV/AIDS Sero-prevalence level in the State. Through this intervention, we were able to bring down the prevalence level from 8.0% to 3.4%, a record unprecedented in the history of HIV/AIDS intervention in Nigeria.

The success of that intervention programme has also encouraged another international oil exploring company from Brazil and operating in Nigeria, Petrobras, to extend the project by another two years through a N5.2 million grant, which would run from 2008 to 2009. This would help in further reaching more youths and sustaining the project within the community.

MTN Nigeria one of the leading telecommunication companies in Nigeria has in the past four years through its foundation (MTN Foundation) partnered with HOPE worldwide Nigeria in providing free HIV/AIDS testing, care and support, in Sokoto, Gombe, Kogi, Cross River, Imo and Lagos States through the setting up of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) centres. Through these centres, HOPE has been able to touch the lives of Millions of Nigerian. The programme has also provided educational scholarship, nutrition, medical and psycho-social supports to hundreds of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in all the States where the project is presently operational.

The high level of poverty, due to unemployment has also necessitated our involvement in the economic empowerment of the less privileged and those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. In the past two years, through funding from Citi Foundations (Citi bank) we have been able to empower local people with skills in dress making, barbing, tie and dye; GSM handset repairs and hairdressing. So far, we have been able to graduate 25 men and women in the local suburb of Abuja. We expect to graduate another by February 2009 in Port Harcourt.

One remarkable success of the income generation project is organization of the beneficiaries into a corporative society registered under the department of Corporative Ministry of Agriculture. These Corporative Societies have started assessing funds through different government and private agencies established to assist small and medium scale industries in the country.

Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited through its foundation (Coca-Cola African Foundation) have also independently and through association with other organizations under the ANCHOR initiative helped in funding our Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programmes.

Other organizations like Gtbank Plc., Zenith Bank Plc, De-United Foods Nigeria Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Friesland Nigeria Plc and Nikky Taurus Nigeria Limited have at one time or another facilitated some of our programmes.

HOPE worldwide Nigeria, has in the past 10 years, enjoyed tremendous goodwill and support of the Organized Private Sector (OPS) in Nigeria. The success could be, due to its diligence at programme implementation and financial transparency, which hitherto has been lacking amongst Non-profit charities in Nigeria.