Bridget Ikyado
The Executive Director of “Hyacinth Alia Support Foundation (HASUF)”, Lady Susan Achiaga, has disclosed that the Foundation has envisaged the establishment of “The Most Vulnerable Aged Peoples’ Secretariat”, in Benue State, to take care of the older people in the society.
Lady Achiaga revealed this at the ongoing outreach embarked upon by the Foundation at Masetadi International Academy, Masaje, Ipav in Gboko Local Government Area of the State.
She stated that the organisation has deemed it necessary to establish the secretariat to uphold the dignity of the aged people and assured that the intention could be achieved through the foundation’s partnership with a local network and donors.
According to Donald Kumun,
Deputy Director of Communications, Alia/Ode 2023 Governorship Campaign Organization, Benue State,said she disclosed that, the essence is to also secure an income for the aged people, by advocating for their care, and providing them with livelihoods support, to enable them have access to the health services that they need.
According to her, the Foundation has been working to help the abandoned elderly people in rural areas, and develop humanitarian actions such as the provision of food, healthcare services, and other relief materials.
The ED further explained that the vision of the Foundation which is non-partisan, is to passionately create a healthy environment, through deliberate empowerment programmes, strengthen, and promote the wellbeing of the most vulnerable people in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
She frowned at violence against the aged, and stressed that old age should not be a barrier, but a responsibility for all and sundry to put hands on desk, and canvass for the comfort of the aged, than erroneously seeing them as witches and wizards.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the eldest man in Ipav, Pa Iorhuna Agbacha, expressed happiness that the Foundation traced and located them in their remote villages to provide them with food items, and medical services and prayed God to bring more enablement for the Foundation to continue with their kind work.
The elderly people and other vulnerable people were given family healthcare services such testing and treatment of malaria and warms.
The beneficiaries also got 10kg bags of rice, drugs to pregnant women, as well as a health talk by the Head of Medical Team, Mrs Adzer Ape on how to manage themselves to avoid deterioration in health in the absence of such intervention.