Humanitarian Assistance: BTOCARES Overwhelmed by Huge Number of Subscribers, Says Programme Coodinator

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The Programme Coordinator, of BTOCARES, Iretidola Akinrowo Ojekhoa, has disclosed that the initiative has received overwhelming subscription barely Nine days after it was officially launched on October 1st by Ondo Community Connect in the state.

BTOCARES initiative is a humanitarian care assistance programme to help the indigent one in Ondo State sponsored by the Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to help indigent people in Ondo State.

The programme’s coordinator, Iretidola Ojekhoa, said the overwhelming subscription made the organisers to suspend registration as at Friday, 9th, October.

“Our BTOCARES registration was oversubscribed within one week. The registration came to an end on Friday when the turnout was unexpectedly huge,” she said.

According to her, “The needs assessment subsequently uncovered several cases requiring urgent intervention, including residents who cannot afford specialised medical treatment and families struggling to keep their children in school.

“One of the urgent cases involves a resident who depends on regular kidney dialysis to survive. Although members of his community have contributed towards his treatment, their donations have not covered the amount required.

Quoting a community leader, Alabi Caleb, she said, the resident needed about N800,000 for treatment and appealed for additional assistance.

“We have been able to contribute our own quota to help the young man, but our little isn’t enough as he needs up to N800,000. We’ll be glad if you can help us facilitate his medical treatment,”

The assessment also identified other residents requiring expensive medical interventions, with some treatment costs running into millions of naira. Their cases reflect the difficulties families face when they need major surgery or specialised care but lack the financial means to pay for it.

Education support has also emerged as a major concern, with applicants seeking help to settle outstanding fees and prevent their children from dropping out of school.

One of them, Ojo Taiwo, a physically challenged father who works as a shoe cobbler in Akoko North-West Local Government Area, is struggling to finance his son’s education while managing his own mobility challenges.

Taiwo is seeking N350,000 to pay his son’s outstanding fees at Western University, Iwo. He said the financial difficulty had already prevented the final-year student from sitting an examination.

“My son called me yesterday that he missed his exam because of school fees at Western University, Iwo. I told him I don’t have the financial capacity and he’s in his final year,” he said.

The cases form part of several requests recorded during the programme’s assessment across Ondo State. They highlight the financial pressures confronting families who cannot afford urgent healthcare or meet educational expenses without external support.

According to her, “The organisers also profile and verify applicants before approving support. Under the programme’s guidelines, emergency cases should receive attention within 48 hours, while standard applications should be processed within seven working days.”