By Deji Abdulwahab
An Islamic charity organisation, Darul-Kitab Foundation for Relief and Social Peace, has empowered 440 orphans and their guardians with starter kits and tools through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KsRelief).
The group said that the initiative was to move the beneficiaries from dependency to dignity, as well as empower them become economically productive and socially resilient.
Its Founder, Sheikh Abdulkadri Salman, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the official launch of the Care and Livelihood Empowerment Project for Orphans and their Guardians.
Salman, who is the Chief Imam, National Mosque, Abuja said that the event meant for vulnerable people in Borno and FCT.
He described the programme as an intervention to respond to a critical humanitarian need across many communities in Nigeria, particularly among internally displaced persons and vulnerable households.
According to him, thousands of orphans and their guardians continue to face daily challenges related to access to basic care, education, and sustainable means of livelihood.
“Today, we inaugurate a programme that will directly support 440 beneficiaries through multiple livelihood pathways.
“Some beneficiaries will receive poultry starter kits, including cages, chicks, food, and monthly stipend giving them a foundation for regular income.
“Others will receive tricycles, enabling them to earn through transportation services. We are also launching POS machines and kiosks to support small businesses and promote financial inclusion.
“Equally important is our investment in skills development. In partnership with AFS Vocational Hub, beneficiaries will be enrolled into structured training programmes in fashion design, leather works, culinary arts, and soap making,” he said.
According to him, these are not temporary solutions but long-term opportunities designed to restore confidence, independence, and economic stability.
“Upon completion of their training, participants will receive empowerment tools to begin their own journeys toward self-reliance.
“Our approach is guided by the belief that true humanitarian work is not only about providing aid or restoring dignity.
“It is about equipping individuals with the ability to rebuild their lives with pride and resilience.
“We recognise that many of our beneficiaries come from challenging circumstances, including displacement and poverty. Yet we also recognise their strength.
“Today’s commissioning is a message to every beneficiary: you are not forgotten, and you are not alone,” he said.
The group’s Project Manager, Dr Sulaiman Al-Gamawiy, said that the project was designed to run for a duration of 12 months, implemented in structured and progressive phases to ensure effectiveness and sustainability.
According to Al-Gamawiy, the project targets 220 orphans and their guardians, also numbering 220.
He said that it involved several vocational and technical training programmes designed to equip beneficiaries with practical, market-relevant skills.
“There will be monthly sponsorship stipends for orphans, provided throughout the entire twelve-month period of the project, to support their basic needs, education, and overall wellbeing.
“During Months 6 to month 12, Darul-Kitab Foundation will focus on monitoring, mentorship, and business support.
“This is to ensure that beneficiaries receive continuous guidance, technical advice, and supervision to help them stabilise their new ventures and achieve long-term self-reliance,” Al-Gamawiy said.
He said that as the implementing organisation, Darul-Kitab Foundation was fully committed to delivering the project with the highest standards of transparency, accountability and Impact.
“We have put in place strong monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that every resource entrusted to us is used effectively, responsibly, and reaches the intended beneficiaries,” he said.
Mr Delu Yakubu, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, said that the project had always been the cardinal objective of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Yakubu said that the idea was to respond to humanitarian service and poverty reduction.
Represented by Mr Bashir Butoma, the SSA said that Nigeria had a huge number of persons in need of relief, considering the fact that the country had victims of banditry and insurgency.
“We have seen that King Salman Humanitarian Relief Centre has played the humanitarian role of complementing the efforts of the Nigerian government through the Darul Kitab Foundation.
“We are thanking the Centre and also calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the gesture as Federal Government can not do it alone.
“All hands need to be on deck to make sure that we bring relief to the Nigerian people,”he said.
Dr Khadija Ibrahim, the Founder of Being a Human Foundation for the Less Privileged, described the initiative as a good cause towards poverty reduction in the country.
Ibrahim said, “This is a good cause, and I love to always be associated with this kind of event, and that is why I am here today to rejoice with the beneficiaries.
“I advise them to make use of what they have been given here today, wisely, so that they can take themselves out of the street and become independent instead of being dependent on people every time,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
