The A. A Zaura foundation has said that it would empower youths with scholarships to help reduce unemployment, illiteracy and poverty in the country.
The founder of the foundation, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim, popularly known as A.A. Zaura, said this on Friday in Abuja while donating face masks and hand sanitizers at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Chapter.
According to him, most of the beneficiaries of the gesture would be students in Kano State. “The next few weeks and beyond Ramadan, the foundation shall open its portal to students in Kano to access our scholarship scheme and enjoy the benefits of continuing with their dream careers,” he said.
He added that there will be special provision for the distribution of food items to poor communities to give them a sense of belonging and that the foundation has also made efforts in improving medical services in Kano State.
“We acquired an ambulance with state-of-the-art gadgets that will move from community to community to ensure that rural areas are provided with free medical services. There would be a mobile doctor on duty for this purpose.
“We have gotten face masks and hand sanitizers that will be shared to those frontline workers and fellow practitioners in the coming days. We have an itinerary for that, but it shall be commissioned by the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists,” he said.
While lamenting the gap in the educational sector, he said that skill acquisition programs, as well as poverty alleviation schemes would proffer better solutions to unemployment in the country.
Zaura said that, for Nigeria to attain greater heights, the nation needs to harness potentials in youths, women and build capacity where needed.
He said the foundation will dedicate itself to supporting the needs of the vulnerable and encouraged them to be relevant despite unforeseen opportunities.
He said, “It is not going to be possible to reach and meet everyone’s need, but it is possible to inspire many through a medium that is accessible for such”.
He also urged Nigerians to be patient and demonstrate love, support for the nation’s democracy, assuring that it would be gotten right one day.
He, therefore, urged other well-meaning Nigerians not to wait for election time or politicise issues of national emergency, but to rather work for the wellbeing of the vulnerable in the society.