The Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), the pet project of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Patience Umoh Eno, says it has impacted no fewer than 53,987 lives across the state within two years of its establishment.
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady and Chairman, Board of Trustees of GIFA, Lady Helen Obareki, disclosed this during the organisation’s second anniversary and posthumous birthday celebration of its progenitor, held at Ibom Hall.
Lady Obareki noted that the impact spans GIFA’s eight thematic areas: maternal and child healthcare, enhancement of literacy and learning, environmental health improvement, women empowerment, disease prevention, elderly care, disability support, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response.
Breaking down the figures, she said, “A total of 53,987 lives have been touched and impacted by GIFA across Akwa Ibom State in the last two years.”
She listed the achievements as follows: Maternal and Child Healthcare 9,776 beneficiaries; Enhancing Literacy and Learning 19,587 adults and pupils in public schools impacted; Environmental Health 13 ‘Water of Life’ borehole projects completed across 13 local government areas; Women Empowerment 5,064 women empowered; Fight Against Diseases 4,900 rural women and children benefited from the Wheels of Hope Medical Outreach.
Others include: Care for the Elderly – 10,800 senior citizens supported within two years; Care for Persons with Disabilities 160 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) received dedicated and sustainable support; Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response 1,020 survivors reached and rehabilitated during the period under review.
While acknowledging the programme’s impact on vulnerable families, the First Lady-designate pledged to sustain the mandate, ensuring that the vision of the progenitor, her mother, is not truncated.
She revealed that as GIFA enters its third year, it plans to move toward institutionalisation and global-standard expansion by launching an intensive, year-round Tech-Empowerment Accelerator. The initiative aims to equip 500 Akwa Ibom women annually with market-ready, hands-on expertise in software development, data analytics, and digital innovation.
She also identified the “Water of Life” project as the cornerstone of the organisation’s mission, disclosing plans to ensure that the remaining 18 of the state’s 31 local government areas gain access to clean, potable water.
In his remarks, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, directed the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Akwa Ibom State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (AKRUWATSAN) to partner with GIFA to establish functional water boreholes in each of the state’s 369 wards.
“We would agree that GIFA has done exceptionally well. A job well done means more work to be done. As a government, and to immortalise the desire of my dear wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Patience Umo Eno, we will partner with GIFA to ensure adequate water supply in all 369 wards of the state,” he said.
The governor further directed AKRUWATSAN and the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to immediately set up modalities to collaborate with GIFA to ensure that within the next year, every ward in every local government area of the state has a GIFA Water Project.
“GIFA has truly shown leadership in this direction, and we will strongly partner with you. The 369 wards of the state will have a GIFA Water Project,” he assured.
