Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
The Ondo Community Connect OCC has launched BTO CARES and initiative that will provide direct support to vulnerable residents in the state. Especially: students and artisans.
The initiative was launched in Akure the Ondo State Capitol on Thursday with the aim of providing direct support to vulnerable residents and the less privileged as it’s major focus to bridge the development gap in the state.
Speaking at the launch, the Coordinator of BTO CARES, Mrs. Iretidola Akinrowo Ojekhoa, said the programme was created to put people at the centre of development.
She explained that the sponsor, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had facilitated infrastructure projects in several communities, including transformers, boreholes, solar lights, schools and clinics.
According to her, while such projects remained important, infrastructure alone could not address every challenge facing residents.
“But he asked a fundamental question: What is infrastructure without the people? What happens to a brilliant child who cannot pay school fees? What happens to a mother who cannot afford hospital bills? What happens to a jobless youth who becomes desperate?” she said.
Ojekhoa said the questions led to the creation of BTO CARES, which she described as a people-focused intervention aimed at reaching individuals directly and providing support beyond physical infrastructure.
The programme will operate through five pillars covering emergency succour, education support, artisanship and skills, business development, and the protection of vulnerable people and youths.
Under emergency support, beneficiaries can receive assistance with hospital bills, medical referrals, food packs and emergency shelter for disaster victims.
The education component will cover school fees from primary to university level, examination fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), as well as books and uniforms.
Beneficiaries will also be linked to scholarship and bursary opportunities.
For artisans and skilled workers, the programme will provide access to shared facilities and machines, starter kits such as sewing machines, clippers and other tools, as well as skills acquisition and internship opportunities.
Traders and entrepreneurs will receive support through market and partnership linkages, with connections to government programmes operated by organisations such as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Industry (BOI) and National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Business materials will also be provided through direct payment to vendors instead of cash handouts.
Ojekhoa stressed that BTO CARES had adopted a no-cash-at-centre policy to promote accountability and ensure that assistance was used for its approved purpose.
She explained that approved school fees would be paid directly to schools, hospital bills to the relevant hospitals, while vendors would receive payment for approved business materials.
The vulnerable and youth protection component will focus on widows, elderly persons, persons with disabilities and orphans, while unemployed youths will receive support aimed at providing productive alternatives.
Ojekhoa said beneficiaries would undergo profiling and verification before approved assistance was provided.
She added that emergency cases would be attended to within 48 hours, while standard cases would be processed within seven working days.
“My people, this is your programme. BTO CARES cares for you, Hon. Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo cares for you. Let us work together to build a stronger Ondo State,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Demola Ijabiyi, described the initiative as part of efforts to cushion the economic difficulties being experienced by Nigerians.
Ijabiyi urged politicians to emulate the initiative by providing practical support to constituents facing hardship.
Traditional rulers at the event, including the Oba of Ipinsha, Oba Olufunmilayo Ojo, and the Oba of Irese, Oba Ahmed Saka, commended Tunji-Ojo for combining community infrastructure projects with interventions targeted at people in need.
The launch, which coincided with an Independence Day celebration, attracted 14 traditional rulers from communities under the Ondo Community Connect network, community leaders, media executives and other stakeholders.
It also featured an exhibition and certification ceremony for graduates of the Bunmi Tunji-Ojo Skill Acquisition and Training (BTOSAT) programme of Ondo Community Connect.
Products made through the BTOSAT Production House were displayed at the event, while gift packs presented to guests were also sourced from the production house.
Residents can register at the BTO CARES office at 104, Oyemekun Road, Akure, or meet officials during weekly outreaches to hospitals, markets, schools and communities.