Foundation spends N119m on health, education

The T.Y Danjuma Foundation has awarded N119.8 million in grants to 17 civil society organisations to fund health and education projects and meet the “needs of underserved communities” in seven states.

The grants approved by the foundation’s board will help implement “lifetouching projects in the areas of community health and education, and skills training across 20 localities in Taraba, Edo, Kaduna, Borno, Nasarawa, Katsina and Benue states,” the foundation’s chief executive officer, Dr Sunday Udo said.

The foundation has also scheduled training for recipients of its grants in Abuja to shore up their skills in project and finance management.

Speaking at the training, Udo said the 17 projects are around 4% of total applications the board received, calling it “an indication of the huge need out there.”

One of the projects hopes to expand a school feeding programme started with school-age children at a primary school in Dako, Gwagwalada.

The foundation’s yearly grants have been supporting community projects since 2009, but they fell for the first time compared to total grants in 2016.

“That’s a reflection of the current situation in the country. We are hoping to do more even beyond now, but as it is, we just have to spend within our current resource,” Udo said.