LOVE PLANET INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION – LPI-FoundationIs a youth led organization established in 2004 with the name Love Planet Organization. It began full operations and assumed full organizational structure in 2011, Became legally registered under Kano state Government Nigeria in 2012. The organization’s name was reviewed in 2015 due to name availability by corporate affairs commission (CAC) of Nigeria. The management and mandate was also restructured for better service to God & humanity, vision accomplishment and credibility/accountability.

LOVE PLANET INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION – LPI-FoundationIs a non-governmental organization focused on addressing issues affecting vulnerable individuals and communities as it relates to health, education, empowerment, rights & social well-being.LPI-Foundation also reaches out through media, film/event production and publication to make positive impact and as income generating activity.

Methodology Palliative/home based care to vulnerable individuals and people with

disability. Economic empowerment through; skill acquisition, Entrepreneurship,

Employment & Talent promotion. Advocate for and ensure protection of the basic rights of target group. Awareness creation & prevention programs on HIV & other Infections. Free health care & referrals (treatment, counseling & testing). Provision of free education & vocational training. Shelter, feeding & other needs support. Media (Audio/Visual and Print/Online) outreach programs. Production of Films, Events & Publication of motivational Books.

MANAGEMENT

Board of TrusteesFounder/ChairmanProgram DirectorFinance DirectorAdmin ManagerProgram OfficersVolunteers Consultants

- M & E Officer- Legal Officer- Technical Adviser- Auditor

VISION

LPI-Foundation envisions a well improved and healthy life for vulnerable

individuals and communities (VIC) and a better society.

MISSION

LPI-Foundation mission is to provide care & support to vulnerable individuals

and communities (VIC) and reach out to the world positively.

AREA OF OPERATION

The area of operation of the organization shall be International

Registered/Accredited under relevant authorities/agencies.

ACTIVITIES/PROJECTS

So far we have successfully implemented the following activities in summary;

From 2004 to 2010 the members and board of trustees of the organization reached out to youths through Talk Shows and Youth Forums supported by The Redeemed Christian Church of God. We visited several orphanage homes in the northern part of Nigeria. We also visited a dejected village; Gidan kogo in the northern part of Nigeria where we spent 7 days, educating, sensitizing and supported them with food items and toiletries, the visit to Gidan kogo was supported by the office of Directorate on youth Development Kano State.

Poverty Alleviation Among Disabled Youths (PAADY); during this program, entrepreneurship training was conducted as well as skill acquisition for 30 participants with disability; small businesses were established and registered. We also purchased equipments for various skills. The project was funded by UN-HABITAT in 2011 and lasted through 2012.

HIV MARPS (most at risk population) Intervention (HMI); conducted in Kano State to sensitize, reduce HIV prevalence and improve behavior change among most at risk men. The project was funded by GLOBAL FUND (R9) through SOCIETY FOR HEALTH in POP COUNCIL in 2011 to 2013.

Humanity Concert (HC); organized in collaboration with Kano state Government Nigeria (office of the special adviser on disabled people’s affairs) to celebrate children with disability on children’s day in 2012, we gave out some relief materials & food items to motherless children’s home. We gave out gifts such as; wheel chair, school bags and writing materials to the best students with disability in the state. There was lots of entertainment and fun with the special children.

Media Outreach Programs (MOP); Activity was carried out in Cool FM and Wazobia FM to advocate on the right of people living with HIV/AIDS including awareness on how one can live positive and HIV free life. As we remain front liners in dissemination of information in our society, we promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Our media reach extended to various northern States such as Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe and Niger. We also published an article on CINDYAMOS BLOG & TOP CELEBRITY MAGAZINE to promote the stay safe agenda in 2012/2013

Visit to Orphanage Home (VOH); was not left out as we discovered the daily experience of orphans who have been subjected to difficulty of living due to their disabilities. Some of them are enrolled in schools, learning daily under make shift classrooms under trees while others share sitting space on broken benches. Our involvement in the annual media project of partners “One Big Family Project” conveyed our unreserved passion to touch lives attempting to meet their needs through food items and clothing; while advocating for State government attention in 2011, 2012 & 2013.

HIV & STI Counseling and Testing (HSCT); We conducted HIV/STI counseling and testing for people with disability, for follow up purpose they were referred to IDH Heart to Heart centre in Kano State 2012.

SHiPs for MARPs; We implemented the project year one & two (2 years) funded by USAID through POPULATION COUNCIL. We served as implementing partner in Kano state, Nigeria. We were able to reach a total of 2592 Most At Risk Men (MARM) in Kano. They were reached with the MPPI (minimum prevention package intervention) also known as combination prevention package. Strategies used includes; structural, biomedical and behavioral. Methods include; community dialogue, interpersonal communication, condom forecasting, quantification & distribution, mobile HCT and referrals. We had success stories at the end of the first year of the project which include peers returning to school, going for skill acquisition, getting tested, living positive and avoiding risky behavior.

ICT Literacy For Youths With Disability (ICT-LYD); an ICT project recommended by UNHABITAT, funded by MICROSOFT FOUNDATION and implemented by LOVE PLANET ORGANIZATION supported by other consortium partners to educate youths with disability on the importance of ICT leveraging on the latest Microsoft software. It’s an ongoing project that commenced in 2014.

TRAININGS/CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS (INCRESE)Minna, Niger state, Nigeria (04/2015)MONITORING and DOCUMENTATION TRAINING ON HUMAN RIGHTSParticipants; Executive director

SARATOGA SPRING COMMUNITYNorthern California, U.S.A, (07/2014)LGBT HEALTH SUMMIT & SYMPOSIUMParticipants; Program officer

DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION (India)PROGRAMOS FOUNDATION (Nigeria)Lagos, Nigeria, (04/2014)eNGO WORKSHOP & TRAINING PROGRAMParticipants; Executive director

SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTH (USAID SHIPS for MARP) Kano, Nigeria, (12/2013)MIS TOOLS TRAINING Participants; Executive director, 3 Program officers, 18 Peer educators

POPULATION COUNCIL NIGERIA (USAID SHIPS for MARP) Kano, Nigeria, (06/2013)PEP-INCEPTION TRAINING Participants; Executive director, Program director, 3 Program officers, 18 Peer educators

POPULATION COUNCIL NIGERIA SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTHAbuja, Nigeria, (06/2013)MSM DELTA WORKSHOPParticipants; Executive director, 2 Program officers

INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCEWashington DC, U.S.A, (07/2012)AIDS 2012Participant & Abstract presenter; Program officer

THE INITIATIVE FOR EQUAL RIGHT (TIER)Lagos, Nigeria, (05/2012)HUMAN RIGHT and DIVERSITY TRAININGParticipants; Executive director, Program director, Admin & Finance, Program officers.

UNHABITAT URBAN YOUTH FUNDCairo, Egypt, (03/2011)PROJECT MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, MONITORING & EVALUATION, ENGAGING LOCALLY ELECTED LEADERS.Participant; Program director

SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTH (Global Fund (R9) Benue, Nigeria, (06/2011)INCEPTION TRAININGParticipants; Executive director, 3 Program officers, 12 Peer educators

POPULATION COUNCIL NIGERIALagos, Nigeria, (04/2010)QUALITATIVE and QUANTITATIVE STUDY TRAININGParticipant; Executive director

POPULATION COUNCIL NIGERIAKano & Lagos Nigeria, (08/2009).CAPTURE RE-CAPTURE METHODParticipant; Executive Director

PUBLICATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Cindy Amos Blog 2012, Nigeria As you enjoy the season, Spread the news, Not the VIRUS

HIVR4P 2014, South Africa Sexual risk and HIV prevention behaviors among Most At Risk Men

(MARM) in Kano Metropolis North West Nigeria

IAPAC- ADHERENCE 2015, Maimi USA HIV prevention behaviors among Most At Risk Men (MARM) in Kano

Metropolis North West Nigeria

COALITION/NETWORK/PARTNER

- Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO)- Coalition for the Defense of Sexual Right (CDSR)- YALI Network- Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)- Funds for NGOs - Urban Youth Network- Global Housing Strategy- Population Council (PC)- Society for Family Health (SFH)- UN-Habitat Urban Youth - Microsoft Foundation- Cool/Wazobia FM- Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on disabled people’s affairs

Kano State, Nigeria- Office of the Directorate on youth development Kano State, Nigeria- The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)- ECOSOC Civil Society Network

ICT LITERACY FOR YOUTHS WITH DISABILITY (ICT-LYD)

The project is specifically targeted at youths with disability between 19-24 which falls within the age range of 15-32 and are disadvantaged youths from informal settlement with special needs.

The project ICT LITERACY FOR YOUTHS WITH DISABILITY (ICT-LYD) is to develop and empower disadvantage youths through information communication technology. The project will go a long way in improving the lives of the target group, not just the direct beneficiaries but the community at large. The project will develop people with disability generally because they are presently not engaged in ICT. The project will make people with disability accepted in the ICT sector.

ICT LITERACY FOR YOUTHS WITH DISABILITY (ICT-LYD) will bring out potentials of people with disability in ICT. It’s going to influence national decision or action geared toward involving the target group in I.T related activities in the country.

Our project ICT LITERACY FOR YOUTHS WITH DISABILITY (ICT-LYD) is a development and empowerment project to improve the livelihood of young people with disability through information technology. The project duration is 12months and will be sustained afterwards. 60 youths with disability between the ages of 19-24 have been selected from informal settlement of Kano state, Nigeria as beneficiaries. activities and methods to reach our goal includes; Advocacy, Stakeholders workshop, Baseline survey, Need Assessment, Preparation of training materials, Entrepreneurship Training, Computer & software Training, Donation of computers and software, End line survey & Dissemination, End of project/final report.

People with disability in this part of the world know little or nothing about use of computer. Most of them beg for arms, some are into business and even those opportune to be literate are still computer illiterates. From the previous need assessment we carried out in the community of people with disability, we were made to understand that they have not had the opportunity to be trained in computer. Most of the training they benefit from are skill acquisition. We have also attended a project graduation ceremony where about 20 beneficiaries were trained in computer but after the training the implementing partner left them without any sustainability plan or donation to support the knowledge acquired. Our project is focused on empowering the community with full package ICT and also donates

computer and software to further improve the knowledge learnt and ability for sustainability including being self reliance.

The target group (youths with disability) will become computer literates and will be knowledgeable on other technology issues. They will be able to stand on their own, make income for themselves through information technology. it will also create job employment and business opportunity.

Activities includes: Advocacy; create enabling environment, Stakeholders workshop; engaging locally elected leaders, Baseline survey; understand the circumstance of the community, Need Assessment; identify the priority of the target group, Preparation of training materials; items for training, Entrepreneurship Training; business management knowledge, Computer & software Training; ICT knowledge, Donation of computers and software; grant for self reliance, End line survey & Dissemination, End of project/final report

Among the 60 beneficiaries selected, 30 are women while the other 30 are men and they have equal rights & benefits

Gender sensitive approach was adopted even though the project is designed in a way that all participant benefit equally and base on previous need assessment, they are individuals that have desire and passion for ICT

Our activities will create an enabling environment for inclusion of people with disability in ICT; they will acquire the business management skills, computer knowledge and use of software. They will own personal computers , the project will enable them start up their own businesses and gain employment.

Output will be evaluated by carrying out activities such as end-line survey, tool/indicators are tracking tools, summary sheet, check list and success stories.

Baseline data will be collected through PM&E

Tools include;

- Attendance sheet

- Checklist

- Tracking tool

- Summary sheet

- Monitoring sheet

- PM & E form

One major risk is communicating with some of the beneficiaries especially the ones with speech and hearing impairment. But we have been able to make an arrangement for a sign language consultant.

Common projects implemented for people with disability are skilled acquisition, in this part of the world people with disability are hardly considered in ICT, it is believed that it’s not meant for them, they are marginalized and stigmatized, which is one of the issues this project intend to address.

The project will be a continuous initiative to keep impacting the community. The beneficiaries will be given computers which will enable them sharpen their skill, do business and gain employment.

We intend to involve the state government at local level in the area of creating an enabling environment and other technical support. We have also involved Microsoft and through Microsoft citizenship efforts, they have provided technology tools, training and resource materials that can help create opportunities and transform communities. Microsoft is pleased to make a donation of $70,906.00 in software to Love Planet Organization in support of ICT LITERACT FOR YOUTHS WITH DISABILITY. Other partners include SEONE Empowerment Foundation to coordinate the entrepreneurship training and AIDE- Anuoluwapo Initiative Development of Education (AIDE) to partner in the area of computer and software development.