When a loved one dies, keeping their memory alive is one way of finding comfort and honoring their life. People do this in many ways such as with actual physical memorial… In our case, the death of our loved one was a call to action! We gathered other people, set up a nonprofit and started addressing social issues around community health and capacity development: two things our dad really cared about. Join us!
Our Story
Acha Memorial Foundation as an organization started after the death of our loved one in 2015
Our dad’s stroke experience was tragic because it was very hard to find the right information around stroke treatment and rehabilitation. In our dad’s case, quick access to the right information and appropriate treatment would have saved his life. During this experience, we recognized the gap in community health services with regards to managing a stroke situation.
When he passed away, we decided to start a project to create awareness around stroke. That is how our flagship project “MasterStroke” began. We gathered people similar goals, set up a nonprofit, and started addressing the stroke challenge in Africa. Although stroke is our priority, we also hope to tackle issues around community health and capacity development: two things our late dad really cared about.
With the “MasterStroke project” our goal is to save many lives through gap closures in stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Through the project, we will reduce the number of stroke cases in Africa one local community at a time; provide life saving information to local people; connect them to the right treatment facilities and create support systems to help rehabilitation.
The overall goal is create “better lives for local people” using independent projects like MasterStroke to tackle specific problems within local communities.
Vision & Mission
Our Vision is better lives for local people in Africa.
Our mission is improve community health and providing capability development for the less privileged. With regards to community health, we address lack of awareness, gap in treatment and poor access to health facilities which all contributed to loss of lives in local communities. Our capacity development initiatives focus on empowering local indigenes with skillsets that propel them from a life of poverty to one of significance.
Focus Areas: Community Health & Capacity Development
We develop programs to address the most significant health and capacity development challenges within our communities of concern defined by geography, socioeconomic status, gender, cultural makeup, ability and vulnerability. Within these focus areas we:
- Explore and identify a wide range of social, biological and institutional factors that influence the health and well-being of communities within our concern
- Evaluate the factors that limit the development of people and create health risks for members within our communities of concern
- Make recommendations for program and policy interventions that will improve people lives and the health status within our communities of concern
How We Do It
We deploy a collaborative approach.
We foster an environment where multiple stakeholders: individuals, businesses, religious organizations, government establishments and others large and small, have growing confidence to participate and tackle the problems our projects seek to address. This collaborative approach to problem-solving is flexible, adaptive and creative. Our approach is driven by:
Our platform is an environment where stakeholders leverage each other’s resources and expertise. This partnership model allows smart, ambitious and hardworking people to participate in project activities as contributors tackling specific problems that impact local African communities. This tactic also requires us to partner with multiple experts, communities, businesses, religious groups and other stakeholders to accomplish specific goals.
We drive community outreach efforts and activities to ensure that stakeholders (individuals, groups, and communities) throughout our local communities of interests are made aware of, understand, and have a working knowledge of available stroke prevention tools, support, programs and services located within their communities. Our advocacy effort is focused on influencing decisions around stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation support. We’re pushing for a change in approach within political, economic, social systems and institutions.
We focus on creating experiences and actions directed at helping people to improve understanding and skills, and influence behavior.
Establishing conditions for long-term growth through cost management in project activities is a priority. Some of the ways we accomplish this includes (amongst many) work prioritization, cost-benefits analysis and the use of technology to accomplish project work.
For us, work management is a deliberate process in which a scope of work is identified, selected, planned, scheduled, executed, closed and evaluated. We believe that the primary path to effective impact is to have well-designed work management processes that supports our work and impact on communities.
Our strategy for communication is robust and involves diverse communication channels and tactics. We have a social media strategy that expands our outreach programs. Our engagement strategy also incorporates a Crisp Volunteer strategy that has been developed to improve the experience of volunteers, and help meet strategic targets.
To increase our impact, we “scale up” by expanding our interventions to reach larger populations. Our scaling process involves taking a model that works well in one community and trying it out in another. It also involves the use of expansion strategies such as deploying virtual platforms such as social media and physically implementing solutions at new local communities of interests.
Better lives for local people.
Projects Portfolio
MasterStroke Is Our Flagship Project.
The project is a stroke awareness and support project. Our 2016 goal is to reach 1 million people in Africa and globally through multiple campaign and communication platforms. The overall focus is, address the stroke challenge in Africa by:
- Focusing on improving health. For example encouraging fitness activities that help prevent stroke and educate people on healthy lifestyle
- Helping people who already have stroke. For example, establishing platforms to help locals access the right treatment facility and/or rehabilitation support.
Current Country of Focus: Nigeria
As the most populous country in Africa with a population of about 170 million the choice to kick-start our flagship project in Nigeria was a no brainer. We were driven by several factors including the fact that:
- One fifth of all sub-Saharan Africans live within its borders.
- Community health challenges Nigeria faces are staggering- the country ranks 152 out of 187 countries on the United Nations 2014 human development index
- Nigerians, particularly women and children, experience some of the worst threats to health in Africa. Nigeria accounts for 10 percent of global maternal mortality
- More than three out of five Nigerians live on less than $1.25 a day and access to basic public services is grossly inadequate to meet the needs of the greater part of the population.
- The stroke situation in Nigeria is critical as many people are ignorant about this silent killer.
The Need is Great
The country records 160,000 cases of stroke annually and many of these people end up with disability after stroke
- 80 percent of the 160,000 cases of stroke is be preventable if Nigerians living with high blood pressure, diabetes and other stroke related triggers manage their lifestyle and the diseases properly
- 168 people die of stroke daily in Nigeria this breaks down to 18 stroke cases recorded every hour and seven deaths each hour
- In many local Nigerian communities, when stroke happens, there is usually a lack of awareness and ability to respond appropriately. When they do try and respond, the distance to the hospitals offering stroke treatment is lengthy. The long travel time required does more harm to the stroke victim.
Learn more about the MasterStroke project.
Our Team
Acha Memorial Foundation is incorporated as a non-profit society under the Companies and Allied Act No. 1 of 1990 by the Corporate Affairs Commissions, Nigeria (CAC/IT/NO 78848). The organization is also registered with the Special Control Units against Money Laundering (SCUML) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria.
We have a team of diverse individuals working together to accomplish AMF’s goals. This team is dynamic and their diverse backgrounds enrich the quality of the things we accomplish.
MacDonald OguikeFounderMacDonald holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Finland and obtained his BA in English Language from Nigeria. With work experiences from four continents and many countries. MacDonald is a global professional. His areas of expertise include International Human Resource Management, Organization Effectiveness, Integrated Talent Management, Education, and Project Management. He has a strong business acumen which includes an understanding of different business fundamentals, board-level exposure, people management, financial insight, experience working within multifunctional teams. MacDonald has a global mindset that is nurtured by the experiences he has acquired, the different organizational structures he has worked with and the diverse professional backgrounds within his networks.
Timothy OguikeCo-Founder & Director of Operations (Africa)Timothy is a seasoned Banker with strong experience In the Financial industry in Africa. His experience covers Investment and Commercial Banking in Nigeria. His area of expertise is providing Corporate and individual clients with banking services that support their business investments and help them accomplish the right financial outcomes. Timothy has a double Degree in Business Administration and Management and is currently running a Masters Degree in Forensic Accounting In addition to all the other role he performs in our team, he ensures our financial management framework is compliant with statutory regulations in our countries of interest around the World.
Bidemi CokerMember Advisory Board
Christal SpelMember Advisory Board
Marinel HizonConsultant
Kathleen WagnerConsultant Projects
Professor Yomi OGUNConsultant, Health
Suleiman NadaboMember Advisory Board
Get Involved
When it comes to what we aim to accomplish within the next 5 years, we are punching above our weight. Your support makes it possible for us to accomplish our goals. There are 5 options for you to get involved:
1. Donate
Support our mission with your donations: Your contribution no matter how small is significant. Every amount you give goes directly to creating awareness and improving lives.
2. Organize
Create your own fundraiser and help us raise funds to achieve our goals. If you don’t already have a fundraising idea – that’s ok! We can support you with great ideas for Fundraisers’. Organizing a fundraising event for us requires two steps:
- Tell us about your event. We’ll contact you, register your event and help provide you with informational materials and align your campaign with the Acha brand.
- Start Fundraising: Once you are set-up, you can begin fundraising (online or offline). Note: we’re at the moment not able to support a more customized fundraising page, but we can provide consultation support around this.
3. Partnerships
We are constantly looking for joint efforts to accomplish our social mission. We work together with corporate entities and/or other nonprofits to achieve a greater good. If you are interested in partnering with us please contact us for additional details.
4. Promote & Share
Get the word out by sharing it on social media with others, so they can do the same. Using word of mouth, social media platforms etc. Call out your friends, family members, teammates or co-workers and ask them to donate towards our projects. Use our promo kit to share with your friends.
5. Volunteer
We are constantly looking for skilled volunteers to help us accomplish our goals. You can volunteer remotely and/or come down and help our community work in Africa. If you’re a professional interested in exploring volunteer opportunities with us on any of our projects such as MasterStroke, please contact us. Your involvement could make a big difference on our team. The following volunteer positions are immediately available:
- Graphics Designer
- Content developers/writers for our newsletter
- CrowdFunding Campaign Manager & team members
- International Corporate Sponsorship Manager & team members
- Social Media Manager & team members
- Regional/Country Development Managers – Africa
- Online Education Manager and team members
Whatever your time availability is or your time zone, we have great opportunities to get you involved. Want to learn more?
6. Wish List
Through our projects, we also accepts item donations using a wish (need) list. These are items that helps us support those we work with on the local level. Items must be in good condition (not broken, blemished, worn-out, covered in dirt or have an odorous smell). If you are interested, please download our most current wish list. You can also coordinate your own Donations Drive, reach out to your friends for donations and mail the items to us. Items can be shipped to us directly. Please note, we are unable to cover any shipping related cost. Want to learn more? Contact us for more information around shipping to our country location.
Promotional
Resources
Join the movement and share Acha Memorial Foundation with the world.
Use #AchaMFoundation and help promote Acha online.
Click an image below to download and share on Instagram or Facebook.
PARTNERS
The World Stroke Organization (WSO)
The project organizers, Acha Memorial Foundation is a member of WSO. The World Stroke Organization (WSO) is the world’s leading organization in the fight against stroke. It was established in October 2006 through the merger of the International Stroke Society and the World Stroke Federation with the purpose of creating one world voice for stroke. Today, WSO has more than 2000 individual members and over 60 society members from 85 different countries.
AIESEC
AIESEC is the world’s largest youth-run non-profit organization that facilitates the premiere Global Internship Program amongst 124 countries. Our partnership with AIESEC in Nigeria is mutually beneficial. On one hand, Acha Memorial Foundation provides AIESEC’s young leaders with impactful professional and volunteering experiences to activate their leadership potential. On the other hand, AIESEC Nigeria provides Acha Memorial Foundation HR support and helps implement a crisp Volunteer strategy.
Nigeria Stroke Society
Stroke Association Nigeria (NSS) was inaugurated on the 24th of Sept 2009 to fill a void as a national non- profit health care organisation focusing 100 percent of its resources and attention on stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Part of its outreach and advocacy mission is to organise awareness of stroke among different ethnic groups of people in Nigeria by raising the awareness of the public, the media, politicians, policy makers and health professionals.
JIG Initiative for Better Health Africa
JIG Initiative for Better Health Africa (JIFBHA) is a Non -Governmental Organization in Nigeria. JIFBHA is a rural community based health development organization with a primary goal of facilitating easy access to health related solutions in Nigeria and in extension to other rural communities across Africa. Acha Memorial Foundation and JIFBHA partner to drive maximum impact program implementation. AMF leverages JIFBHA networks in local communities to drive its program and reach a wider audience. We also occasional share and contribute resources to achieving a common goal in terms of program execution.
GOLY
Goly strives to empower people by connecting them with opportunities and educate them. Advancement in technology has changed the way we live today, all across the globe. Goly has identified crucial areas, that if powered by technology, authentic services can help businesses and consumers achieve their goals. Goly is working with us to build a system and structure that connects health care experts to people who require their services. We are excited about this partnership and the technology Goly brings to our work.
Nigerian Young Professional Forum
The Nigerian Young Professional Forum (NYPF) is a non-governmental Organization composed of young professional from different professional fields. The objective of the platform is to achieve three major objectives, namely; national integration in Nigeria; engender purposeful leadership in Nigeria and encourage young people’s participation in governance and the economic process. The organization has a membership strength of about 13 million young Nigerian professionals globally, a number that represents 60-65% of our Nigeria’s population. We are partnering with the Northern Nigerian chapter to reach locals in 19 Northern States in Nigeria.
Other Partners
We partner with many local organizations and institutions such as hospitals, nonprofits, and corporate entities. If you would like to partner with us, please contact us.