Executive Director, BruderHilfe Social Development initiative, Mary Oluwabamigbe Bruder, has lamented difficulties in bringing materials donated to her charity organisation by foreign partners into the country.

     
According to her, despite efforts at reaching out to the less-privileged in the country, unfriendly policies remain a big issue.
    
Bruder disclosed this, during the presentation of health, educational and mobility support for the less privileged in Isolo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
     
She said the programme was one of the ways of ensuring a more equitable, and inclusive society everyone can be proud of.
    
She said: “This year we have listed some states as part of our intervention in Nigeria and Lagos State is one of the nine states on our list this year; we started in Kosofe then we proceeded to Gbagada before visiting Bariga and now Oshodi-Isolo, so we brought the programme here in an expanded project.
  
“We donated to two primary schools, three health centres, mobility carts to persons living with disability and we attended to 30 pregnant women and we gave them clothes, diapers and other supplies in partnership with the first lady of the local government, Jumoke Olasoju. We also donated to the elderly.
  
“Our next port of call in Lagos is Badagry and it’s going to be bigger than this. We are looking towards reaching 500 persons in seven states including Osun, Anambra, Ondo, Sokoto, Ogun this year.
    
“I have been doing intervention programmes in Nigeria because international donors believe in me and they are ready to give me things worth millions of dollars, but I have challenges. I can’t push out what I have in my warehouse. I have spent my life savings on these programmes. I get several donations but bringing things into Nigeria is challenging. I have to ship, pay customs, logistics; sometimes I don’t have the money to distribute.

“When I don’t have money, I will lock up my warehouse and leave the country.
   
“I am still looking for that well-to-do Nigerian that will support me because I have asked donors not to give us anything for now because I can’t afford clearing and the logistics. So, the only state that has taken care of our logistics is Katsina State.
 
“ If we are doing this, reaching out to the poor, then, why is the Nigerian government and the Humanitarian Ministry not keying in? The Nigerian government is frustrating efforts in reaching to the less privileged in the society; they don’t respond to our leaders so, it’s a big challenge, but I hope private organisations will key into this and partner with us.  
  
On his part, Chairman, Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Otunba Adebayo Olasoju, said: “The residents are used to this, so Bruderhilfe came to partner with us because of our contributions.
 
“We are doing training in skill acquisitions, and those with disabilities want to work and be productive, and the first thing we did was their orientation, we told them that nobody could do it for them better than themselves.”