Non-Governmental Organization Placement Essay

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Nigeria Orphanage

Non-Governmental Organization Placement: Examination of the Experience of Students In NGO Placement

The objective of this work is to examine the experience of students on the NGO placement in Nigeria. The NGO at focus is that of St. Joseph Orphanage and Women Development Center. The writer of this work was provided with an excellent opportunity to exam the organization chart and policy of the non-governmental and non-profit organization. In addition, the writer of this work was provided with insight on how the organization raises money to finance and sustain its diverse projects in Nigeria. During the course of job placement of this researcher with this NGO organization, and specifically St. Joseph Women Development and orphanage center it was amazing to realize that Media and Communication organizations play a significant role in the promotion and creation of community awareness and awareness on the national level. Consideration of the barriers that were encountered during the job placement includes those related to language and tradition, which is an effective hindrance when one, is assigned to work in a region such as the northern part of Nigeria where approximately 90% of the population is Muslim.

Non-Governmental Organization Placement: Examination of the Experience of Students In NGO Placement

I. Objective

The objective of this work is to examine the experience of students on the NGO placement in Nigeria. The NGO at focus is that of St. Joseph Orphanage and Women Development Center.

II. Introduction

Nigeria is comprised by an area 923.8 thousand square kilometers or about the size of California, Nevada, and Arizona combined. The total fertility rate or the average number of children per woman in 2010 is stated at 4.82 by the African Affairs Bureau (2011). Life expectancy in Nigeria is stated at 47 years of age. Nigeria is the most heavily populated country in African accounting for more than 50% or West Africa's population. Less than 1/4 of Nigerians are urban dwellers and at least 24 cities have populations of more than 100,000. (Bureau of African Affairs, 2011)

The country of Nigeria is culturally diverse and is diverse in the languages spoken and the traditions of the 250 ethnic groups of Nigeria. It is reported that Nigeria "gained full independence in October 1960, as a federation of three regions (northern, western, and eastern) under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary form of government." (Bureau of African Affairs, 2011) Reports state that agriculture has been greatly mismanaged, inconsistent, and poorly conceived in terms of government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure in the country." (Bureau of African Affairs, 2011)

Agriculture is stated to account for approximately 40% of GDP and 2/3 of employment in Nigeria. It is reported that Nigeria "is not on track to meet its Millennium Development Goals because of a lack of policy coordination between the federal, state, and local governments, a lack of funding commitments at the state and local levels; and a lack of available staff to implement and monitor projects on health, poverty, and education." (Bureau of African Affairs, 2011) Reported as well is that "poor governance, entrenched corruption, internal conflict, ineffective service delivery, and pervasive poverty serve to present barriers for democratic and economic progress in Nigeria.

The essay which follows is one that examines the experience of students in NGO placement and then to compare this experience to the experience of other students in their placement at a NGO. This particular study reports the experience of an individual in a NGO placement with the St. Joseph Orphanage and Women Development Center.

The report of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development with the support of USAID/ENHANSE Project Nigeria (2008) states. that the estimated of orphans from all causes in 2005 was put at 8.5 million, and 15.3% of this figure are children orphaned by HIV / AIDS, while 84.7% are orphaned by other causes which include accidental deaths, high maternal mortality, and commercial clashes resulting in death of parent." A larger number of children in Nigeria are reported to be made vulnerable due to "other traceable causes, such as poverty, social-cultural constraints, gender inequities, and communal clashes." (Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development: Nigeria, 2008)

In order to fulfill the academic degree program, the writer of this work applied to the St. Josephs Orphanage organization (NGO) in Nigeria, one of the developing countries in Africa on a job placement as an Undergraduate of International Development Third World with NGO Management.

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The writer of this work was appointed following a brief interview as a project coordinator based on the experience of the writer in the Health Sector, as International Development Students and this writer's performance during the interview. Dr. Joseph Oterubi is a renowned medical practitioner and a politician, one time Minister of Health during the military era of General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) (1976-1979). Dr. Oterubi resigned from his Minister of Health post due to misappropriation of funds by government officials. One of Dr. Oterubi's decisions and objectives of setting up a charitable organization was to assist and compliment the efforts of international donors and NGO's in condemning poverty, maternal death among women due to non- efficient of the Health care system and care for the needs of the orphans, child labor in the society, in Nigeria.

III. Background

The writer of this work was provided with an excellent opportunity to exam the organization chart and policy of the non-governmental and non-profit organization. In addition, the writer of this work was provided with insight on how the organization raises money to finance and sustain its diverse projects in Nigeria. During the course of job placement of this researcher with this NGO organization, and specifically St. Joseph Women Development and orphanage center it was amazing to realize that Media and Communication organizations play a significant role in the promotion and creation of community awareness and awareness on the national level. Consideration of the barriers that were encountered during the job placement includes those related to language and tradition, which is an effective hindrance when one, is assigned to work in a region such as the northern part of Nigeria where approximately 90% of the population is Muslim.

The women that were targeted to benefit from the women development projects are those who are always wearing their traditional Islamic Veil covering their faces and many of them are restricted to their home as a house wife and are prevented from meeting or seeing any strangers or being seen by a stranger and this is particularly true of male strangers. The NGO experienced great difficulty in recruiting girls and ladies who were able to fit the key post as a volunteer due to their orientation against anything western in education.

Nigeria, while endowed with a great reservoir of mineral resources which should serve to bless the populace, has been in actuality mismanaged by the political leaders and this coupled with economic development leading to relative decrease in the agricultural sectors has resulted in extreme poverty in Nigeria. The percentage of the population in Nigeria living above the poverty level are only a small minority in the country of approximately 150 million individuals. Poverty is believed to be a primary cause of maternal mortality as many women are prevented due to poverty from procuring proper and adequate medical attention.

There is also a wide gap between women in the Northern and Southern regions of Nigeria and most particularly in the Muslim dominated areas. In addition, the gap between children in the Northern and Southern regions of Nigeria is a broad gap. The experience of this researcher and writer is that the level of development in the Northern parts has terribly shown on the populace, hence the numbers of the children living on the street in the major cities in the Northern parts are so immense. Majority of these destitute are orphans struggling to survive, living on begging and sleeping under the bridge, markets place, and desolate buildings. It was gathered that the politicians sometime take advantage of these children by using them as a thug to foment trouble especially during the political rally. So many times, they get killed in 100 and nobody has ever been held responsible.

St. Joseph women development and orphan centre in the northern part of Nigeria has been working round the clock in campaign against such abuse on the under- age children and educating the community leaders and the children through the media to save the generation from destruction because of poverty and lack of care. It has been a good experience in that the writer of this work has been able to apply that which has been learned as project coordinator of this organization and has had the opportunity to interact with the Orphans in their hostels and likewise the volunteer carers appointed to cater to the needs of the children orphans whom we work together.....

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