Nigerian Tower of Refuge Mission, Inc
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We feed, clothe, and provide temporary accommodation to widows and orphans in Nigeria,
Project Description
Nigerian Tower of Refuge Mission, Inc. is a faith-based charitable non-profit 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland and registered with IRS since March 25, 2020.
Our main service area is Nigeria, West Africa. Our focus are widows and their orphaned children who are survivors of victims of the massacre of Christians and farmers by Boka Haram and Fulani Herdsmen Islamic Jihadists. Nigeria does not have an effective social service program and family members of the deceased often send their widows out with their children. Too many of these widows and orphans are forced to beg or work in building sites and on farms where they are often abused and molested.
Nigerian Tower of Refuge Mission provides physical, emotional, and spiritual support for these poor widows and their orphaned children by distributing grocery and clothing, temporary free accommodation, Christian emotional and spiritual counseling, health screening, and entrepreneurial skills training. On Tuesdays, since 2019, we have distributed over 100,000 bags of grocery containing rice, beans, semolina, gari, tomato paste and cooking oil on a first-come-first-served bases. Our plan is to help as many widows and orphans as possible all through Nigeria without restrictions. We pride ourselves with serving every aspect of the needs of these widows as they try to deal with the devastations of this national carnage.
We started our operation in Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State and we have expanded our operation to Ijoku Ososa in Ogun State. We have a lot of grounds to cover yet, and our goal is to have an operation in every one of the 36 states and the Federal Capital of Nigeria. So far, we have been financing this project with the pension and social security checks of the Executive Director and donations from friends, family and church members. We have attempted crowd fundraising with little success. In Nigeria, we collaborate with a trusted pastor who share our vision and four other men and women who help with running the project locally.
With more funds, we want to purchase about 20 acres of land that we can cultivate for seasonal local foods to mitigate the escalating cost of the food we distribute. We also want to provide training in Arts and Crafts, rabbit cultivation, computer coding etc. for personal independence of the widows and the orphans. We would like to thank all who are able to help us by donating to this cause. We appreciate and are grateful for all the help we can get.
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How often do you distribute food? It used to be monthly, but we were moved to make it every Tuesday because many of the widows come back often asking for when we would distribute food next. The COVID created a situation when many of them were not able to go look for work.
- How do you get the clothes you distribute? We solicit fairly used clothes for men, women, and children including shoes, sneakers, toys, and even beddings and we ship them to Nigeria in boxes.
- How do you know the money you raise is being used for the recipients of your charity? We conduct weekly WhatsApp meetings with the local operations director in Nigeria. Every Tuesday, before the food is distributed, we have a video call to see what we are able to distribute and what we need to purchase. Every now and then, we capture food distribution on video. Once a year, as funds would allow, the Executive Director makes a point to visit Nigeria on a mission trip to see the progress of the project, and what area we need to improve. A few of the women have left the service to attempt to make it on their own after some entrepreneurial counseling. We are attempting to teach rabbit cultivation, computer coding (for the children), etc., to promote financial and social independence.
- Who else do you serve? Our original focus were the victims of the Jihadists. We soon discovered that there are also other widows and men who have similar need for temporary help. Among the few men we serve are those who escaped the killings with their lives and nothing else. Some of them lost their farms and properties. Some of the men were coming out of incarceration and are looking for a way to start over.
- How come you are offering temporary accommodation and how can you afford it? This project began in 2012, long before it was incorporated. The executive director, who was originally from Nigeria, had visited Nigeria and observed the high number of women with children begging on almost every street corner, sometimes, late into the evening. She discovered that some of these women were actually homeless because the family of the deceased could not or would not take care of them, so they compel them to leave. This need caused her to begin building a two-room dormitory that could accommodate up to 16 women and 16 men each that could provide shelter from the streets and safety from molestation. Due to the limited space, we have to limit the length of stay to seven days at a time, to give others the same opportunity. During the seven days, we pray with them, counsel them, and share the love of Christ with them. We have a 100-seat sanctuary where they can go for meditation and join in the church service if they wish to. Our service does not discriminate against religious background. All are welcome and do not have to participate in our church service.
30X15 in. Ebony FESTAC Head Wall Plaque from Nigeria
Letter of appreciation
Samsung galaxy Tabet 32 GB (wi-fi)
Rewards
30X15 in. Ebony FESTAC Head Wall Plaque from Nigeria
Letter of appreciation
Samsung galaxy Tabet 32 GB (wi-fi)