Why I Set Up Nimota Care Foundation Last Year - Canada Based, Nimota (Rabiu) Raji-Gambari

Nimota is one beautiful lady who likes to help others. She is passionate about health care issues.

It is to help thousands of people with health challenges that she set up Nimota Care Foundation. And she is having the 1st Anniversary/Launching and Fundraising Gala of the foundation in Lagos this Saturday 24th September 2022.

Below, she spoke to CityPeople Publisher, Seye Kehinde about her Vision and Mission.

 

Please, introduce yourself

My name is Nimota (Rabiu) Raji-Gambari. I am the founder and CEO of Nimota Care Foundation in Akute, Ogun State, Ifo Local Government and the owner and CEO of Nimota Care in Canada, private counseling for individuals, couples, youth, and families. 

Tell us about what you do abroad

I am a registered Social Worker and a Psychotherapist in Ontario, Canada. I currently work with the Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY) outpatient, and I support through evaluation, individual treatment, and group treatment. I also work with their families who are going through substance abuse problems and mental health concerns.

In my private practice, I work with and provide assessments for refugee claimants new to Canada who have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. They are supported to overcome their barriers and promote their well-being through cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and brief solution-focus therapy.

Tell us about your Foundation. Why did you set it up?

Nimota Care Foundation (Move N' Mingle) was founded on September 1, 2021, and we serve over forty members. However, we have twenty-four permanent members daily and over a hundred seniors on the waitlist. We also provide free blood pressure monitoring to support those with hypertension and blood sugar monitoring for an individual with diabetes daily. We also offer complimentary breakfast and lunch based on their dietary needs, thirty minutes of daily exercise for physical health to reduce falls and daily multivitamins for all the seniors to promote well-being. Also, we provide interactive social games that help prevent or delay cognitive decline because as we age, our memories decline when not use to its capacity. We also offer music therapy to boost their mood and avoid depression and anxiety. On our premises, we have four paid staff members: a registered nurse and three front-line staff. We are open Monday to Friday from 9 am-4 pm, and after that, we have Arabic lessons for children and youth. At Nimota Care Foundation, we have zero tolerance for elder abuse.

We also assist other charity events that share our Foundation's aims and objectives. Through our financial support, Nimota Care Foundation provides educational funds for students and individuals with disabilities or those with medical conditions who cannot afford medical supplies. We also distribute foodstuff and wheelchairs to those in need. Our funding comes from eighty percent from the founder and CEO and twenty percent from families, friends, and friends of friends.

Why focus on Nigeria?

Nigeria has no operational national policy on the care and welfare of the elderly. These are the elderly that were nation builders, and they have contributed to the success of Nigeria through direct or indirect employment. However, they are overlooked and viewed as nonexistent in the community. Many die without receiving their pension, experience unhealthy lifestyles such as malnutrition and cannot meet their daily needs. Eventually, they will become frail, experiencing a slip and falls, leading to hip replacement, which results in self-treatment at home due to a lack of financial resources or family support.

Nimota Care Foundation (Move N' Mingle) focuses solely on the elderly aged 60 years and above. We picked this vulnerable group because they are the ones that are neglected primarily in Nigerian society. They are viewed as unproductive due to old age and retirement, and they are prone to be knowingly or unknowingly neglected by their families. Sometimes, they are left alone in the house if they are still active or with a caregiver who can sometimes be paid or unpaid who sometimes will neglect and abuse them, contributing to undiagnosed depression, anxiety, various mental illness and an early grave. These are the issues that led to the creation of the Nimota Care Foundation (Move N' Mingle).

Why are you in Nigeria now? What is the plan?

Well, I came from Canada to Nigeria with my friend Adedayo Akinsan to celebrate our first anniversary, lunch Nimota Care Foundation to the public, and seek further funding so that we can be able to support more seniors in our community. However, it's a very short trip, it is worth every minute!