New Nigerian Country Co-ordinator
2004 sees a new dawn for RESPECT Nigeria as Francis Abayomi takes over the reins and strives to take the organisation forward with a host of new projects.
Primarily, Francis will be looking to implement the Letter Exchange programme with local refugee communities, such as the IRU camp at Ijebu-Ode. This camp, built on the site of a former-school compound, houses thousands of refugees from all over Africa, including those fleeing the recent internal conflicts in Liberia.
The plight of those living in refugee camps is well-documented, and the residents of Ijebu-Ode are no exception. Food and medical treatment has been in short supply, and diseases such as TB take their chance to pounce on the weary refugees.
The need for humanitarian aid is obvious, but people living in these conditions also require some kind of hope and a distraction to take their minds off their immediate problems. This is what Francis hopes to provide with the Letter Exchange programme.
"Refugees are everywhere over almost all the Nigerian states, but RESPECT Nigeria is starting from Ijebu-Oru Camp and using it as our project site. Soon we hope to have 30 letters to send to Canada to start the programme," he says.
Once they have developed a firm base within Ijebu-Ode, RESPECT Nigeria plans to expand to other refugee communities. To do this, however, they need money.
"RESPECT Nigeria is not receiving funding from anybody at the moment. However, we will be selling African dresses made by refugees through the e-store. We hope to use this money for future projects," says Francis.
There is also the potential to sell arts and crafts made by refugees. Providing such work amongst the community will also have the positive benefit of increasing levels of self-respect and reducing the number of children who are sent out onto the streets to beg.
On top of spreading the Letter Exchange programme, Francis has earmarked funds for a number of other projects.
"We have many things planned for 2004. We will be looking to provide environmental aid for refugees and to develop Internet and Communications Technologies (ICT) within Ijebu-Oru. We are also planning to implement a documentary with the Nigerian Television Authority," says Francis.
Francis is fortunate to have a strong team of young, committed volunteers to help RESPECT Nigeria achieve its goals. Francis himself has a strong background in voluntarism. Despite only being 27, he has worked for many years in a humanitarian capacity.
"I've had a great interest in serving humanity since I was a little boy. For more than 10 years I have worked in many positions for the Leo Club Programme in Nigeria (the youth activity of Lions clubs international). I have always enjoyed working with the refugee children in camps in Nigeria," he says.
There will no doubt be much work for Francis and his team in the years to come. NATO seems content to let conflict rage on across much of Africa, instead sending most of its troops to the more strategically important areas, such as Iraq and the Balkans.
With the international media giving scant attention to the African refugee problem, the work of organisations such as RESPECT Nigeria is vital in raising the profile of African refugee issues amongst the youth of Canada.