NGO Seeks Government Support for Full Digitisation of Operations

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), One Mind Friends Empowerment Foundation (OMFEF), has solicited support from the Federal and State Governments to facilitate the full digitisation of its operations.

The Executive Director and founder of the NGO, Comrade Sunday Archer, made this appeal while speaking with journalists at the 2024 annual convention and official launch of the organisation’s maiden calendar, held over the weekend in Enugu.

He called for financial aid from all levels of government, as well as from public-spirited individuals, to help the organisation procure equipment and secure more suitable office space for its operations.

In his words: “What we are doing here is to give out the best of what we have to these children. Our cardinal goal is to harness the hidden potential of these young, talented individuals and help them establish themselves in an ICT-driven society. You know it is a computer age, and no one would like to be left behind. We have been doing this for the past one year, and God has been helping us since we started.”

He lamented their major challenges, stating: “Our major constraint is funding. So that is why we are calling for assistance. For instance, we don’t have computers, our office space is not enough for our operations, and it is a rented apartment.”

Comrade Archer expressed gratitude to parents and guardians for giving their children the opportunity to benefit from the organisation’s free training programmes. He noted that the programmes were designed to advance trainees’ knowledge in ICT and Printing Technology.

According to him: “What we do here is capacity building. At this age, one cannot say, ‘I have no knowledge of computers.’ It is now a digital world, and we all have to join the moving train. When we were in the university, we used libraries for our research work, but today, with your computer, you can stay in your house, do whatever research you need, and complete your work. After school, you don’t have to wait for the government to give you a job. With your computer, you can employ yourself and even employ others.”

The Chairman of One Mind Friends Empowerment Foundation (OMFEF), Chief David Ekeh, explained that the organisation aims to produce young Nigerians equipped with the knowledge and application of modern technologies for economic sustainability and self-reliance.

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Chief Ekeh disclosed that over one hundred beneficiaries of the free training programmes were specifically skilled in two key areas: computer programming and Printing Technology.

He said: “You can see the children who have been performing in different capacities. These children are wonderful. They can operate any form of computer and do anything with it. Some of them print calendars, others print posters—just anything. They are wonderfully bright.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the Occasion, Mr Ikechukwu Umeh, commended the NGO for taking on the responsibility of “catching the children young.” He added that the convention, which also marked the official launch of the organisation’s maiden calendar, provided an opportunity for the children to showcase their individual talents.

Mr. Umeh encouraged parents and guardians to play supportive roles, urging them to assist the organisation in developing the children’s potential for self-actualisation.

In an address, the Coordinator of the Virtual Peer Learning Hub (VPLH) in Enugu State, Engr Okechukwu Chukwuemeka, described the event as unique and timely.

He praised Comrade Sunday Archer, saying: “The Founder of One Mind Friends Empowerment Foundation and facilitator of today’s training programmes is a multi-talented man. It may surprise you to know that Archer was once just a shoemaker. So, I see in him a man whose life is worthy of emulation because he single-handedly built himself and rose from nobody to somebody.”

He further pledged to assist in boosting the image of the NGO to ensure it reaches an enviable height.

The event featured the official launch of the organisation’s maiden calendar and the presentation of certificates to over eighty-six graduands of the training programs.