Dewdrop Foundation

• To reach out to more communities in South-East and North-Central Nigeria with identified number of older persons whose care-givers have little or no baseline understanding on caring for age related symptoms leading to constant abuse and neglect. This will give our primary right holders (the elderly) a voice to speak on issues that were hitherto swept under carpet and build their self-worth and confidence. DDF has been working in over 11 communities in Nigeria to protect the rights of the elderly from all forms of abuse through its #StopElderAbuse #Ageing is A Blessing campaign with plausible records of behavioral and mindset change about elder abuses and their care in rural communities and their leadership structures and wish to scale its work to other communities in Nigeria.

• The urgency to create public understanding and awareness of the content and provisions of the newly enacted National Policy on Ageing law (which we participated in its public hearing), necessitated DDF’s application for this award.

• The need to develop cohorts of highly skilled caregivers for the elderly and the ripple effect in addressing  unemployment make this application a necessity.

DDF is a women-led NGO whose work originally focused on challenging discriminatory practices against domestic servants and bridging the skill gaps predominant in the care sector through skill training in vocational education. DDF’s field experience at the grass root led to our additional focus on the intersecting challenges faced by our rights holders, especially the older citizens aged 60 and above, who are largely a marginalized population and whose rights, protection and privileges are rarely discussed. 

Vision

Dewdrop’s vision is to develop and implement tailored sustainable programs for effective capacity building and poverty reduction at grassroots levels, empowering women and youth, and communities to be self-sufficient.

 Purpose

To contribute to sustainable grass-root development, by enhancing gender equality, and improving the welfare of vulnerable groups especially the elderly, domestic workers and youths through education, capacity building, entrepreneurship/empowerment programs, advocacy, and by inspiring positive cultures.

Goal for the future

DDF aims to achieve an inclusive society that is fully sensitive to the needs, well-being and issues of the elderly through vocational education training for their care-givers, and the establishment of platforms for the care of the elderly in the 36 States of Nigeria.

DDF is a not-for-profit organization whose work largely focuses on challenging discriminatory practices against domestic servants and bridging the skill gaps predominant in the care sector through skill training in vocational education. It is a women led NGO with over 70% of its staff and board members as women. 

DDF implements highly innovative, influencing and developmental activities in communities where cases of vulnerability due to obnoxious cultural practices are highly prevalent. 

DDF adopts the international best practices of “Nothing About Us without Us” by working closely with our right holders from  project conceptualization to implementation stage. Our right holders are involved in and empowered to own projects for maximum success and sustainability.

Our works with the elderly includes;

• Creation of safe spaces for the elderly to speak on issues that concern them i.e., a platform that will avail aged persons the opportunity to network and socialize for improved mental health and well-being through tailored developmental activities.

• Vocational education training in personal care services for relatives, care-givers of the elderly.

• Sensitization/awareness creation on the needs of the elderly, the available protection frame-work, its domestication at the State level and orientation exercises about its content. 

• DDF adopts best practices and strategies for alleviating the challenges of the elderly in Nigeria by creating mindset changes among community dwellers, relatives of older persons and causing positive responses among state actors

• Awareness creation and sensitizations against ageism and other age related problems.

• Implementation of targeted intergenerational activities that foster interconnectivity, learnings and genuine concern to the plights of the elderly by the youths. 

• Identification and addressing the intersecting challenges confronting the elderly i.e., challenges that may not directly relate to the focus of our activity but that are not unconnected to the plight and needs of the elderly e.g. the health needs, basic needs and social needs of our right holders etc.

• Establishment of sustainable platforms for older people, run and grown by them for self care and socialization.

• Vocational training programs in Personal care services for the care-givers of the elderly, to enable them access decent care and the placement of our trainees on the the innovative Dewcare works platform for accessing decent jobs.

• DDF has a team of individuals who are passionate about the protection of the rights and privileges of the elderly. The laudable impact recorded in the field of elder care is a factor of our commitment, expertise and partnership with vocational training enterprises in Nigeria with the skills on training caregivers of our right holders. 

• Elder care in Nigeria is relatively new terrain which requires multi-sectoral partnerships. The newly enacted bill for the protection of the rights and privileges of the elderly requires advocacy and sensitization to drive home the benefits of the bill. 

• The involvement of the youths in the  care of their grandparents through intergenerational activities and their exposure to skill that is  highly in-demand  in the care service sector has broadened our program impact and reach. The engaged youths are given access to a career path that can earn them decent wages and job creation.

An illustration of Dewdrop Foundation's multi-stage intervention