By Ozumi Abdul
If there is anything like giving back to the society, or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMGF) typically and aptly exemplifies that descendible from its numerous interventions across various spectrum of the society.
These interventions are not just limited to Kano state where the foundation residents, but cut across other northern states such as Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMGF) is a non-profit organization that supports humanitarian services, economic empowerment, peace and security, educational growth and innovative health interventions including WASH services.
Its mission is to support the less privileged and vulnerable people by improving their socio-economic and health wellbeing as well as promote and enhance opportunities for sustainable growth and development, while its vision is to see a society where people are empowered with full access to quality education, affordable healthcare, and access to Water Sanitation and Hygiene services and Economic Opportunities.
According to the foundation’s Director of Operations, Mallam Suleiman Jalo AMG foundation was founded two years ago by its chairman, Dr Aminu Garba Magashi with the sole aim of supporting education sector, health sector, environmental and amongst others.
He said Dr Aminu Magashi being a son of the soil in Kano state is desirous of seeing a better Kano state and its indigenes who will be free from major health challenges, squalor and abject poverty.
AMGF in partnership with an organization called Women Partnership for Progress has trained fifty women in various skills acquisition such as perfume making and as well empowered them with take-off funds to start their own business in little ways.
The idea is to empower these women in order not to expose them to the vulnerability of moral vices.
Also, the foundation has a empowered two vulnerable men from rural areas with the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) to start goat farming. These two men travelled down to Ibadan in Oyo state to get some goat breeds and return to Kano to start their goat farming business.
The foundation in its magnanimous usual ways of bettering the lives of those who are financially depressed has equally empowered a financially handicapped trader in Katin Kwari to enable start his bedsheets and blankets businesses.
Again, 10 out of school youth within the age bracket of 12-15 years were drawn from the host community of the Kaduna Polytechnic and sponsored by the Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation to undergo the eight (8) weeks training and four weeks internship at Panteka market, with the donation of the sum of N1.2million, paid by the Foundation to kick start the training which will create skills to the youth and be self-employed.
Jalo further confirmed the motive behind the sponsorship of the training is to improve the economic status, promote peace in addressing the challenge of insecurity in our society.
As a way of encouraging health workers, Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG) has also honoured eight health workers for their outstanding performance in the provision of health care services in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
They are Medinat Uthman of Mabushi Clinic as the Most Patients-Friendly Staff of the Year; Iorbee Kaior of Bwari Area Council as the Most Dedicated Volunteer of the Year; and Amos Grace, of Gwagwalada Township Clinic as the Most Dedicated Staff of the Year.
Others are Salmat Salihu as the Most Punctual Staff of the Year; Toyin Onyilo as the Most Compliant Staff of the Year, Umar Bako as the Most Compliant Staff; Yusuf Samo as the Most Punctual Staff; and Iyabo Omotoke Balogun as the Most Hygienic Staff of the Year.
In the area of health, in a bid to mitigate against cervical cancer in Nigeria, Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMGF) also partnered with The End Cervical Cancer Nigeria Initiative (ECCN) and the Nigerian Cancer Society to increase access to cancer treatment in the country.
The foundation pledged the initial sum of N500,000 to cater for drugs to support the cervical cancer treatment access project of ECCNI.
The cancer drugs were committed and paid at over N1.5million in Kebbi, Kano and Yobe
This includes Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe and Niger states. Its cancer intervention supports, education and health awards have reached there also.
To ensure violence free election in Kano state, AMGF had also partnered with the Kano State Police Command and Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) by hosting the 2023 Youth Peace Summit at Lebanon Club, Bompai Kano State.
The summit was aimed at combating fake news and hate speech. It had in attendance different media organisations, Kano Youths social media influencers and a number of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Recall that in his remark the founder of the AMGF, Dr Aminu Magashi said “the essence of the summit is to raise awareness and say no to fake news and hate speech during an election as you are aware in the next couple of weeks election is going to start in Kano and Nigeria, so we want young people to be sensitised, to ensure that they are not been used by any political actor to cause any havoc or violence or spread fake news on social media”
AMG Foundation has spent over N6million as a cost in media jingles, radio live and recorded programmes promoting health, education, youth, women and children, while also investing about N2million to BUK youth assembly on empowerment.
It also empowered many young health journalists with laptops and cameras to enhance their career at over N3.5million
The foundation has also donated surface water tanks to Diso Primary Health Care in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano state.
The Program officer of AMG Foundation Malam Jalo Suleiman said the aim of donating the water surface tanks and connecting the water pipe to Diso Primary Health Care was to have more access to water, sanitation, and hygienic supply at the PHC due to the records of patients that often visit the center for medical attention in the communities and nearby.
To ensure hazard-free environment, AMG Foundation have paid and invested over N 3million to evacuate refuse, mosquito spray, repaired bore holes and established new bore holes and have provided sanitary pads to young girls across many states.
The Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG) also honoured 10 health workers with an award of excellence titled Dr Aminu Magashi Annual Heroic Health Award.
Director of Operations at AMG Foundation, Malam Sulaiman Jalo disclosed this during the presentation of the award to the 10 frontline health workers in Kano State.
He said each of the 10 awardee health workers (five males and five females), received a plague, a certificate and a cash prize of N25,000.
The heroic award is in 2nd year and so far, awarded 28 persons and year 2024 will cover 50
The Foundation donated the sum of N1 million to the YOSPIS Youth Academy Initiative on Tuesday.
This was unveiled by YOSPIS Executive Director, Zainab Nasir Ahmad during the first anniversary since she emerged as the Chairperson of the organisation.
The foundation also supported the take-off of the Education Trust Fund in 2023 to support students in need, initial N1million committed.
In the areas of security for all, the foundation has spent over N15million to support community policing initiative and peace promotion and good governance in Kano from 2021 to date
Dr Magashi deserves numerous awards as an individual who have been striving to touch people’s lives, especially the vulnerable and less privileged in all ramifications with his AMG Foundation despite not holding any political position.
His large-heartedness would have been flying all over the world with his resources, but instead chose to invest them in bettering humanity.
Indeed, Dr Magashi deserve Noble Laurette in humanitarian and selfless services.
Ozumi Abdul writes from Abuja
