From: Segun Babatunde in Bauchi (19/05/2021)
The Challenge Initiative(TCI) Wednesday engaged Media Practitioners and Social Behavioural Change Committee (SBCC) on Resource Mobilisation and Proposal Development as part of efforts to adapt and implement high – impact family planning programmes for improved maternal health in the state.
The Initiative also stressed the need for local NGOs in the country to gear up and source for alternative means of getting support to continue most programmes by international donor agencies.
TCI which Facilitated the One-day training for resource mobilization and proposal development for SBCC and the media said that over dependence on international donor agencies for funding has killed many programmes after the termination of the funding by the donor agencies at the expiration of such programmes.
In her presentation, Elizabeth Carr,TCI Focal Person in Bauchi stressed that excellent proposal presentation has been the major problems militating against sourcing for alternative findings by local NGOs saying that there is the need for stepping up such.
She said that local NGOs need to start looking inwards as soon as a project commenced knowing that finding by international donor agencies will stop at the expiration of the programme circle lamenting many of such programs have been terminated without achieving the set goals due to lack of time.
The Focal Person then called for collaboration between the SBCC and the media on how to draft good proposals for funding by organizations in the country in order to localize such intervention.
In his own presentation, State Coordinator of The Challenge Initiative (TCI) facilitator of the training, Yakubu Usman Abubakar challenged SBCC and the media on the need to perfect ways of writing good proposals in line with the best practices.
He further stressed that NGOs should ensure that they study requirements of a program very well in order to know the best way to approach writing and presenting a proposal for funding of a program.
The TCI State Coordinator further said that in order to get a favorable consideration for a proposal for funding, there must clearly stated objectives and means of getting the program supported by the potential donor.
He suggested that unsolicited proposal can be prepared and submitted for consideration by an NGO stating cogent reasons for seeking for support by the donor.
At the end of the training, participants agreed that there is the need to rely less on international donor agencies for funding of programmes that are for the benefit of Nigerians declaring that well to do Nigerians should support such programmes after the donors must have ended their funding session. END
