Mainstream Foundation: Mainstreaming Lives In Unique Ways

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Inside the Leaba clinic constructed by Mainstream Foundation

 

The philosophy behind the establishment of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL), concessionaire of Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants in Niger State, was founded on delivering seamless value to the nation’s power and boosting its economy.

 

 

The pedigree of the company’s drivers and its unquenchable pursuit for excellence, service delivery and humanitarianism speak volume of its imports, impacts and projections to indeed change the narratives of the country’s troubled power sector.

The company’s apparent low appetite for unbridled profit accumulation and lavishness of same on its staff alone as well as knack for capacity development in its environment evidently distinguishes it from typical business concerns in the country.

 

 

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited said it was proud of identifying and exhibiting innate concern about its environment through altruistic action plan, goal-oriented pursuit embedded in its corporate social responsibility policy.

 

Little wonder, when MESL decided to establish Mainstream Foundation few years ago, observers  were convinced that the power company was desirous of redefining corporate social responsibility and mainstreaming lives positively in Nigeria.

 

Birth Of Mainstream Foundation

 

On the 28th of December 2016, MESL finally registered Mainstream Foundation , marking the arrival of its institutional arm that would espouse its humanitarianism and ideals.

 

Distinctively, the Foundation is being funded through 1% gross monthly revenues from Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, which no other successive companies of the defunct Power Holding Companies of Nigeria (PHCN) have been able to match since the change of ownership of the facilities.

 

Observers also said MESL is the only company today with a duly registered Foundation among the successor PHCN companies that seek to engage directly with communities in ensuring that they are touched by various initiatives.

 

 

The Foundation aims at coordinating the humanitarian intervention of the company through its Corporate Social Responsibility while the company focus on its core business of generating electricity.

 

According to MESL, the Foundation’s vision is to improve the quality of life of communities around the Kainji and Jebba Lakes and Niger Basin, with a focus on health, education, community empowerment and the environment.

 

A senior official of the power company told PremiumNews that Foundation’s mission is to promote healthy and educated communities, with thriving local economies and sustainable ecological landscapes that serve as a model for West Africa, with development indicators at par with world averages. The core values of the Foundation the official said, revolves round community engagement, community ownership, impact and high-quality standards.

 

Drivers

 

The Foundation is manned by a 7-member Board of Trustees with unimpeachable integrity and commitment to community service in Nigeria.

 

 

 

The trustees include: Alhaji Umaru Farouq Bako (Chairman) ,Siraj Abdullahi (Executive Secretary), Mosun Olusoga Bello, Alhaji Nuhu Abdullahi Sa’adu, Col. Aiyegbeni Peters (Rtd), Habiba Ali and Alhaji Dunmoye Suleiman. These drivers have successfully driven the Foundation to laudable height and continually create avenue for more Nigerians to get touched by the company’s heart of gold.

 

How Mainstream Foundation Intervened So Far

 

Armed with four cardinal objectives of education, health, environment and community empowerment, the Foundation has since 2016 proven that it has the capacity and capability to add the desired value.

 

For instance, the Foundation executed 61 projects in 2017 across its host communities and spent N128,957,453.50 on the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools in Shagunu, Kuruwasa, Amfani, Mazhi etc. The Foundation expended the sum of N45,887,937.50 on the rehabilitation and equipping of health facilities and the treatment of persons within the catchment area. The sum of N23,906,435.50 on improving critical aspects of the environment, while N821,839.00 was spent on other projects. The Foundation spent a total of N288,414,368.20 in 2017 for the benefit of Borgu, Kontagora, Yauri and Bida/Jebba communities.

 

A senior official of the company told PremiumNews that Foundation sponsors 10 selected youths annually from the host communities to study at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) as part of the empowerment objectives. He said:” This training is a Graduate Skill Development Programme for new Engineering Graduates starting their career in the power sector. A good number of the trainees are offered employment in Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited after the training Programme”

 

In April 2017, the Foundation conducted a three-day medical outreach program in collaboration with the first lady of Niger State and Founder of Raise Foundation, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello in three communities (Amfani, Gbajibo and Rofia) in Niger State. More than one thousand indigenes of the state where screened and administered medication whilst seventy-four surgeries were carried out. Considering the Medical Outreach was a success, others were carried out in subsequent years.

 

The Foundation adopted Mazhi primary school for a period of 7 years with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Minna, with the objective of providing educational and ancillary facilities and infrastructure needed for learning to improve and institutionalize quality teaching standards and to increase the value of education within the community.

 

In 2018, the Foundation executed ninety-six (96) projects in its host communities with fifty-two (52) projects being education interventions, thirty-three (33) health projects and eleven (11) community empowerment projects. The Foundation spent the sum of N268,067,000.00 for the rehabilitation and construction of schools, N132,365,000.00 was spent towards the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of health facilities and treatment of persons and N169,707,000.00 was expended on empowering the communities and trainings. A senior official of the company said, the Foundation spent a total sum of N570,139,000.00 for the benefit of Borgu, Kontagora, Yauri and Bida /Jebba communities in 2018.

 

 

 

He added: “Earlier in the year under review, we had some medical outreaches in collaboration with Raise Foundation at Malale and Gungawa communities in Niger state. 953 patients were screened and administered medication while 65 surgeries were carried out and 80 referrals (50 of which were eye related problems) were made to specialist hospitals for further attention. At the latter part of the year still in collaboration with Raise Foundation, we opened a week-long Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) camp at Kontagora General Hospital where we had 50 women screened with 22 successful corrective surgeries. The Foundation mobilized doctors from the National Eye Centre Kaduna to New Bussa for a 2-day eye consultancy at the general hospital. 182 patients were screened and given medications and 38 cataract surgeries were done successfully’’

 

The Foundation says it has executed one hundred and twenty-two (122) projects in 2019 across its host communities with forty (40) projects being education interventions, sixty-three (63) in health projects and nineteen (19) community empowerment projects. It spent a total sum of N866,703,911.00 .

 

 

 

Last year, the Foundation executed one hundred and thirty-nine (139) projects in 2020 across its host communities with fifty-six projects being education Interventions, fifty -nine (59) health projects, eighteen (18) being community development projects and six (6) being environment projects. Besides, the Foundation spent a total sum of N832,408,624 for the communities. It also organized a medical outreach in 2 communities (Gulbin Boka and Rafin Gora in Kontagora) where over 1000 villagers were screened, and medical assistance provided to them. It said Seventy-four (74) surgery cases were organized at Kontagora General Hospital.

 

 

 

The Foundation saw the need for a river blindness eradication campaign in some communities around the lake where the disease is prevalent and has organized eye clinic for its host communities. It also conducted cataract free surgeries

 

Special Interventions

 

The Foundation also made an impressive show in some areas that required special attention in the country and communities therein.

 

 

One of such areas was the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic which reared its ugly head last year March.

 

 

 

Like a conscious and responsive institution, the Mainstream Foundation supported the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic with medical equipment and N500million to Kwara Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger State, including the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada and the National Hospital, Abuja.

 

 

 

Specifically, the University of Abuja COVID-19 isolation/pretreatment Centre was supplied with a 350KVA generators and 9 rooms from its newly constructed trauma center furnished for staff who isolated themselves due to their assignment with COVID-19 patients. Some members of staff of Mainstream presented an exhaustive list of the donated items to the Minister of Health.

 

 

 

 

The Foundation also donated flood relief items to New Bussa, Jebba North and South, Rafin Gora and Zungeru IDP camp in Niger State, Yauri in Kebbi State, Konton Karfe in Kogi State, Ndoni in Rivers State and Udaba-Ekperi in Edo State.

 

 

Four Years Scorecard

 

In its assessment, the Mainstream Foundation stated that between 2016 and 2020, it intervened in 35 schools, built 89 blocks comprising 194 classrooms, constructed, and equipped five community health centers and four clinics.

 

 

 

It also carried out nine medical outreach programs, wherein 4500 patients were examined by qualified doctors in various areas of medical specialization, 22 VVF correctional surgeries, 32 cataract surgeries were performed, and 29 eyeglasses provided.

 

 

 

 

Within the period, the Foundation established six rice and Gari processing mills,121 boreholes were drilled to provide portable drinking water to more than 500 communities. It added that 23 electricity distribution transformers were procured, installed, and energized, while seven major culverts and four bridges were constructed to connect the hitherto cut off communities.

 

 

 

In addition, 42 candidates were sponsored to the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, 40 to Vocational Skill and Upgrade School, Kaduna, 20 to the Federal College of Education, Kontagora for poultry/fishery training and six more trained on carpentry. It disclosed that starter packs were provided for all the graduands.

 

 

Feedbacks

 

Beneficiaries of the heart of gold of the Mainstream Foundation, have not ceased to pour encomiums on the institution for the lofty interventions that have their added value to lives and communities.

 

 

A Isa Suleiman, stated that during the last year’s rainy reason, a life was painfully lost in his community, but Mainstream Foundation has moved to prevent a reoccurrence of the ugly incident by building culvert for people to have access to their farmland

 

Khadijah Galadima, who is recovering after an inferno accident was full of commendations and prayers for Mainstream Foundation for footing her medical bills. She said the gesture gives her succour and hope of living her life after full recovery.

 

 

 

A certain King Solex in Niger State commended the management of Mainstream Foundation for the unprecedented interventions in Borgu Local Government Area of the State. He wrote: “May God Almighty keep and uphold the entire staff of Mainstream Foundation as you keep on doing a great works to various communities in Borgu Local Government Area of the state.

 

 

 

Also  Yakubu Mohammed also wrote: “We, the youths association surely testify of such development. It is not mere political propaganda, they (Mainstream) are real. We are surprised with wonders. All our requests are being fulfilled that we are even shy to request for more. We also thought it was our constitutional right, but we lived with the Federal Government NEPA or PHCN for over 30 years now, but none like these. We conclude and say it is a privilege from God to the community”

 

 

Vote Of Confidence

 

For all the strides and interventions Mainstream Foundation has recorded since its birthday, beneficiaries and partners have received the gesture with vote of confidence on the institution as a prime one.

 

 

 

 

From the Federal Ministry of Labour to National Hospital, Edo and Niger State governments as well as local governments to private concerns, there was a convergence of opinion that Mainstream Foundation had lived up to its cardinal objectives, if not surpassed same, and deserved to be appreciated glowingly for modestly filling the void created by age long institution rots in Nigeria.

 

 

More Work, Increased Targets

 

The drivers of the Mainstream Foundation, like a rugged bull, have resolved to exhibit no trait of fatigue or relent in the tour of duty to use the humanitarian arm of the energy company to give energy to the downtrodden or underserved in the country.

 

 

 

 

Already, the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, which is populated by accomplished minds and impeccable technocrats have been restless in spreading the gospel of its four cardinal objectives as well as exploring avenues to continually support the Foundation’s immediate communities in the key intervention areas of education, health environment and community empowerment.

 

 

 

 

To these bold faces, the target is unimpeachable, and the Mainstream Foundation should indeed impact the lives of Nigerians in unique ways.

Letter from Gov Edo State

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