A non-governmental organization (NGO), Sustainable Mechanisms For Improving Livelihood and Household Empowerment(SMILE) has supported 600 vulnerable children across the six area councils of the FCT.
Speaking during SMILE briefing project at Social Development Secretariat in Abuja, on Tuesday, the FCT coordinator of the organization, Mrs. Helen Netugu, said SMILE was a five-year project from April 2013-March 2018, funded by PEPFAR through the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
She said it was implemented through an umbrella grants mechanism whereby civil society organizations received sub-grants to support capacity strengthening and programme implementation at the community level.
On her part, the Director, Gender, Social Development Secretariat (SDS) FCT, Mrs. Hart-Uta Agnes said SMILE had supported in establishing different VC platforms for better coordination like improved formal and informal linkages on child protection capacities of government staff and networks built on reporting, writing and documentation and the setting up of the child rights law implementation committee in the four SMILE supported area councils and at FCT level.
Earlier in his remarks, the Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, FCT, Mr. Oladimeji Ali Hassan, represented by the Director, Administration and Finance -SDS, Abuja, thanked SMILE for the laudable projects initiated in FCT and its environs for the past five years.