International Charity Day: Hope Raisers Global Foundation Calls for Support to IDPs

International Charity Day: Hope Raisers Global Foundation Calls for Support to IDPs

As the world marked International Charity Day on September 5, Hope Raisers Global Foundation, a non-governmental organizations (NGOs) took the celebration beyond donations by investing in women’s empowerment through practical skills acquisition. One of the key highlights of the day was a hands-on training session where women were taught how to produce liquid soap, a skill that can serve both household needs and income generation.

During the workshop, facilitators guided participants step-by-step through the soap-making process, emphasizing the importance of hygiene, packaging, and marketing. 

Speaking with Journalists on World Charity Day, Amb, Angonimi David Imeh, the Executive Director, Hope Raisers Global Foundation said the initiative was aimed at helping women, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, gain financial independence and become self reliance and employers of labour.

In her words:

"At Hope Raisers Global Foundation, we believe that we have a part to play in the redeployment of IDPs into the society. So we are out there making sure that these internally displaced persons are being taken care of and are being supported in the best possible ways, so that they can either be reunited to their families, go back to where they came from when peace is actualized, or they can be reintegrated into the society."

Buttressing on the significance of International Charity Day, Amb. Angonimi said, "I would like to start with the reason why we are celebrating the international charity day, this day came because we had a very lovely soul, Mother Teresa. We all know about the story of Mother Teresa, how she worked so hard for her people in India. Now, after she passed on the United Nations decided that a day should be commemorated because of the work that she put in place while she was on earth. And then that was how this was birthed. Every fifth of September, we celebrate the international charity day because of the beautiful soul."

She used the opportunity to call on well meaning people from public and private sector to support the less privileged in the society. According to her, "I am calling on everyone who is out there, if this woman was able to go through all the hurdles, it didn't come easy. It doesn't really come easy, but she fought through battles, she climbed walls, she passed by the sides of the mountains, she crossed seas and rivers, and she was able to change the lives of 1000s of people. Now what I want to say concerning this international charity day 2025 is to choose the way of charity, because charity is very important in our society. We are clamouring for peace. The world is crying out for peace. One of the things that can bring peace to our world is when we listen to the cries of the less privileged, when we hear their voices and then we answer their needs, that's one way to curb all the menaces that we are facing in the world."

Reiterating why so many people are IDPs, Amb. Angonimi said, "It's either there was flood in their community, which was not their doing, or insurgency, the Boko Haram crisis, which has led 1000s of our people in a northern part of Nigeria homeless. Yes, they are homeless, not because they are not hardworking. These were people with livelihoods. These were people who were okay. They were living their lives in their own terms. But somehow it was interrupted. There was a disruption that has left them where they are."

 "One of the ways we do that at Hope Raisers Global Foundation is to empower the women. We teach them skills, different kinds of skills, with tech Africa, 2023 we went to the IDP camp, and we empowered the women with devices. Because we understand that the world has evolved. We are talking about technology right now, and these people do not have the means or wherewithal, so have technology to have the knowledge. So we gave them handsets, phones, and other things so that they can run their businesses beyond their present environment. Also, we taught them bookkeeping and how to use their phones to make more money."

International Charity Day is a day to highlights the role of charity in easing humanitarian crises, reducing poverty, supporting the most vulnerable communities, and strengthening the spirit of solidarity. It also encourages individuals, organizations, and governments to get involved in charitable acts—whether through donations, volunteering, or community service