Progress report
Name of Organization: Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation.
Project Title/Name: Tree planting in S/East: Climate Action
Focus Country: Nigeria.
Project Locations: Lagos and Southeast, Nigeria.
Focus Area: Raising awareness on the danger of deforestation and to
Monitor and support communal afforestation efforts
Project Type: Direct service, Street based Project
Proponent: Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation
Address Klm 1 Eke-Ahiara Junction, Umuofor Nnarambia
Ahiara, Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria
BRANCH OFFICE: 88 Murtala Muhammed way,
Yaba, Ebute Metta, Lagos.
EMAIL: support@samonyemaechihumanitarian.org
WEBSITE: https://www.samonyemaechihumanitarian.org
Introduction;
The need to restore forest, both to protect biodiversity and to stabilize the climate, is urgent. Trees fight climate change by taking up carbon dioxide-the main gas responsible for warming-from the air and turning it into wood and roots. This project engaged rural communities in planting trees and minimize the use of fossil fuels, and focus on developing alternative sources of energy that are clean and sustainable. We focused on both carbon emissions reduction and carbon removal with our biochar program. We reached out to small farmers in rural areas and show them a better way to handle their crop waste. It will increase awareness towards reducing global warming, to give our earth a chance to heal and rebalance. Regardless of the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels on global climate, other energy sources will become more important in the future because fossil fuels could run out by the early twenty-second century given the present rate of consumption.
Executive Summary:
Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation started a project on “Climate action”, planting trees in arid land and installing solar light in rural communities. We organized seminars and educate people about the importance of tree planting and the implication of burning and cutting down trees without replacement. We embarked on planting trees where erosions have eroded. In place of using fossil fuels, which have been one of the factors for the rise in temperature, we installed solar energy to help reduce and rebalance our planet.
We also embarked on producing organic fertilizers for our agricultural produce, to boost the economy and end poverty. We reach out to small farmers in rural areas, showed them a better way to handle their crop waste. We teach them how to use their crop waste to make a biochar. This process eliminates tons of greenhouse gases currently being released from open field burning. Biochar is pure carbon, when the pure carbon is put back in the soil, it creates a ‘carbon sink’, and sequesters it for hundreds of years, helping to bring down our CO2 levels.
This will increase awareness towards reducing global warming, to give our earth a chance to heal and rebalance. A warmer climate increases public health challenges like heat aggravated illnesses, increases in vector borne diseases, and decreased access to safe water and food. Cutting short-lived climate pollutants can slow the rate of warming and lower public health risks. Due to many internal and external factors, climate change has become a global concern over the last few decades, and these changes affect life on the earth in various ways. It is our vision and Goal, to end poverty, build stronger economies and safer, healthier, and more liveable societies everywhere.
Organizational Background
Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ started in the year 2012, officially registered September 7, 2017. Joined GlobalGiving community May 29, 2021, with a vision in planting trees in arid land and installing solar light in rural communities to protect biodiversity and to stabilize the climate. Sunlight generates clean and renewable energy, which is a huge benefit to the environment. It is a great alternative to fossil fuels, as it reduces the carbon footprint on the planet, as well as greenhouse gases. Our Purpose – “To create a carbon free world by accelerating the clean energy transition”. Embarking on producing organic fertilizers for our agricultural produce, to boost the economy and end poverty. Also, to create a platform for young people to actively engage them in social issues in the southeast, Nigeria. In the first 3 months of its operations, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ did a rapid assessment of existing youth program in the region to discover a dearth of serious, structured interventions with young people in the area. The team from ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ visited more than 20 rural communities and several NGO functionaries operating in the area to learn about the involvement of youth and adult in social initiatives in the area. In these visits, most of the principals, teachers and social workers voiced a need to build leadership among young people on social issues and motivate them to take up social action initiatives. The educators expressed their concerns and difficulties involved in mobilizing young people for social action initiatives.
In the same period, a team from ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ participated in the ‘Change Makers program’ that was conducted jointly by The Nonprofit council with the aim of understanding the current community development initiatives of other NGOs across Nigeria. During this phase the team studied the program design and the community mobilization methods of these NGOs. The team also underwent a one year long mentoring and handholding under this program. In the process, the team also participated in a several learning programs with several NGOs working on community issues from across the nation. In these sessions, the team interacted with more than 12 NGOs and their several community leaders working in different parts of the country.
Equipped with an understanding of local issues and an understanding of the best practices of NGOs from across the country, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ started conducting basic life skill and active citizenship programs in communities in Southeast. The program was named ‘change for life’. These workshops caught the interest of educators and students alike and they welcomed ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ team to conduct repeat workshops on several issues in 15 communities with around 8,367 in attendant. This program also had an indirect outreach of another 4200 people. ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ also initiated a pilot program named ‘Metamorphosis’ that involved families in community outreach program. This program involved around 10,600 farmers from 15 different communities in the area. In the same period, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ conducted two parent counseling workshops in two different communities to discuss the issues of their children. This program titled ‘Parenting and grassroots child-care' helped us put forward our standpoints and increased our acceptance with parents who are the prime decision makers for their children
The success of the initiative inspired us to continue the program with young farmers. Now in its second year of operation, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has started conducting life skill and active citizenship workshops in 10 additional Communities. This program so far had a direct outreach of 2700 families. Parenting and grassroots child-care has been conducted in two new Communities in the year. Currently, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation is actively working with 23 communities in Southeast working on different issues in different communities.
In order to give a push to these projects, 'Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has identified the need for:
a) Help the vulnerable improve and maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle and to maximize their quality of life.
b) Starting of 2 Resource Centers in southeast to address the needs of farmers
a) Resource Centers for youth to learn vocational skills.
b) Resource and Empowerment Centers for farmers to equip them with skills in farming.
Vision and Goal
At Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation, it is our vision and goal to increase the resilience of ecosystems, help minimize climate change effects, planting native seedlings in ecologically appropriate areas to counteract soil and biodiversity loss and improve human well-being. Create more oxygen in our air, more natural carbon sinks and reduced greenhouse gases, natural habitats for endangered animal species, provide power at night, dependable salaries and careers around the world and healthier soil and natural humidity control.
Core values
Involving people, applying knowledge and making things happen. We take as our Motto “Peace, social justice, diversity, fun and democracy as key values” which guide us.
Organizational Structure
‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ is registered as a Trust with Mr AKARAONYE Samuel Ifeanyi, Engr. Greg Ntiwunka, Mr. Joseph Ehioma and Ms James Rosita Nkeiruka as the Board of Trustees.
The ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ Team is currently led by Chief Augustine Anyanwu and comprises of Mr.Dominic Anyanwu, Agnes Cletus Bassey, Mr. Chigbu Uchenna Ezekiel, Ms Anthonia Chuke etc.
Aims and Objectives
The aim and objectives of Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation in planting trees, embarking on organic fertilizer and installing solar energy is to promote the planting of tree as a lifestyle, to raise ethe awareness of the danger of deforestation, to monitor and support communal afforestation forts. To power up a street lighting system through solar energy. To protect the solar battery from quick deterioration as a result of continuous day and night working, to increase genetic diversity and promote more usage of natural pesticides.
Target Beneficiaries
The project was implemented in the rural communities in Southeast. The direct beneficiaries are the rural communities. About seventy five households are currently benfiting from the project.Work is still ongoing, though we are handicapped at the moment. The work is slow due to lack of support, but we are optimistic that we will achieve our desired goal.
The impact of the underlying project on the target population.
Some communities we have installed solar light have felt the impact of our work. We have been receiving series of accolade, thanks to our supporters. A solar energy production facility is providing new, greener sources of electricity for local residents and businesses, helping the utility meet renewable energy standards, and improving electric power resiliency while boosting the local economy. We have been able to plant trees in arid land to restore afforestation. Trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe. Trees reduce the amount of storm water runoff, which reduces erosion and pollution in our waterways and may reduce the effects of flooding. Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat. Trees provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals. We equally taught them impact of organic manure in crop production. Manure organic matter contributes to improved soil structure, resulting in improved water infiltration and greater water-holding capacity leading to decreased crop water stress, soil erosion, and increased nutrient retention.
*Project Details*
INCOME
s/n DATE DISCRIPTION AMOUNT
01/26/2022 Donation through globalGiving $43.20
2 10/31/2021 Sales from food processing and packaging $345.78
3 11/20/2021 IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION $1335.28
4 12/18/2021 WANGAROU ENTREPRENEUR $100
5 12/21/2021 MISCELLANUOUS DONATIONS $155.33
GRAND TOTAL $ 1,979.59
GRAND TOTAL OF INCOME= $1,979.59
EXPENSES
S/N Description QTY Per unit Amount Amount $
1 100watts solar street light with Solar hanger 10 pcs 28,000 280,000 $682.92
170watts solar light with solar hanger 10 pcs 32,000 320,000 $780.48
Tree Planting and seedlings 50 1500 75,000 $182.92
Labour 3 25,000 75,000 $182.92
Telephone bills 35,000 35,000 $85.36
Graphic artist 1 20,500 20,500 $50
$1964.6
Total Expenditures= $1964.6
Balance= $14.99
Difficulties and Challenges
The major challenges we are facing in carrying out our project is sponsorship. Relying solely on our little entrepreneurial ventures cannot help us to maximize our output. We solicit for sponsorship and grants. Join us in this forth coming little by little GlobalGiving fundraising campaign dated April 4th through 8th.
Sustainability of the Project:
The ability of our organization as a whole to survive and to meet our mission goal, we embark on an entrepreneurial venture, as a way of raising money for community, financial and organizational sustainability. The foundation runs a food production, processing and packaging factory. We have been partnering with a company in processing our food items for sales. We are working hard to build our own factory for our organizational sustainability, and to help youth that have vocational skill to acquaint themselves with entrepreneurial skills to be resourceful and useful to themselves and society at large. The procurement of the necessary equipment for production, processing and packaging of organic raw materials(food) and construction of a multi-purpose hall that will accommodate our factory and other activities is our priority, we can achieve this through external sources like grants and long-term funding or through internal sources like income-generating activities or membership fees. And to actualize our mission and goal, we have these points as our guiding principles: Collaborative leadership, member-driven decisions,
effective communication, change-ready and adaptive workforce continuous improvement, on- going evaluation and measurement, sound financial infrastructure.
Annexes
Annexed below is a sample of this section that has been drawn from the project report of ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ – a non-profit organization that works with young adolescents, youths and adult in rural Communities.
*Overview of the Program:
We at ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ very much value exposure, interaction and peer learning processes. Our recent interactions with more than 20 Communities have reinforced this belief. We are now looking out for support to create 2 youth resource and Empowerment centers in southeast, Nigeria where young, adult etc can come together, co-create learning experiences and contribute positively to the community development. We plan to utilize these resource Empowerment centers as spaces for involving the youth and adult in “self-development” and ‘social action’ projects of various kind.
'Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has the required experience and expertise to design and run social action campaigns. We feel campaigns are great opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills, highlight social issues, develop deeper understanding about issues and mobilize young people. Campaigns give energy and take care of youth and adult needs such as fun, interaction, novelty etc. We want to organize a campaign each year highlighting youth action.
What we have achieved so far?
‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ is now an accepted name in more than 35 Communities. Our volunteers are personally known to tens of thousands of families in southeast. As a part of self-development initiative, we have conducted workshops in more than 25 Communities in the last 3 years with a direct outreach of approximately 4000 people in the last 3 years. We have so far organized one major campaign in nearby villages where they went and identified families who were not buoyant enough to Carter for their family’s needs.
Since the beginning ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has been running out several programs in Communities promoting spirit of volunteerism and celebrating youth led social action. We have organized a major social action project titled ‘Change for life’ in 10 large Communities with an approximate outreach of around 23000 peoples. This project involved collecting and donating used and unused clothes blankets, shoes, food items to the needy.
What we propose?
In this project we propose to undertake the following activities under the aegis of the Resource and Empowerment Center for youth and adult. Youth Resource and Empowerment Center: We wish to build 2 new Youth Resource and Empowerment Centers (YREC) in Southeast over a period of next two years – one for the first-generation school goers and the second for adult in rural Communities. At the end of the two years, we would have been running 2 Youth and adult Resource and Empowerment Centers and the third year would be dedicated to further strengthen and better the functioning of these 2 resource and Empowerment centers.
Awareness Campaign:
We will design and run campaigns involving adolescents’ young people and adult from rural and urban areas every year starting with the end of year 1. The theme of the campaign will be designed by the adolescents. This will help them to consolidate their learnings and create awareness about social issues.
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
