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Hope for kidney patients as OJB Foundation, Bowtie Club launch trust fund

By Emeka Nwachukwu
14 January 2015   |   4:35 pm
WITH the plan to raise N200 million from 200,000 concerned and caring Nigerians on a monthly basis, smiles may soon linger on the faces of the unnumbered kidney patients nationwide.  The fund aims solely to provide medical succour to as many Nigerians as possible, who are suffering from this disease.   Speaking at the media…

OJB-FOUNDATION-PIXWITH the plan to raise N200 million from 200,000 concerned and caring Nigerians on a monthly basis, smiles may soon linger on the faces of the unnumbered kidney patients nationwide.

 The fund aims solely to provide medical succour to as many Nigerians as possible, who are suffering from this disease.

  Speaking at the media launch of the OJB Foundation and Bowtie Club Kidney Trust Fund in Lagos recently, Founder, OJB Foundation, Mr. Okungbowa Babatunde Jezreel, popularly known as OJB Jezreel noted that over 30 million Nigerians currently suffer from different levels of kidney disease and renal failures.

  According to him, many of these people experience great pains seeking medical solution to their health issues and for the more fortunate people, expert medical assistance is typically sought abroad and the financial involvements are usually quite steep, while locally, the cost and quality of seeking these solutions are usually above the means of majority of sufferers.

  “It is in this regard, that two ‘Not for Profit organizations’ – the OJB Foundation and The Bowtie Club have come together with support from some well-meaning institutions to launch the Kidney Trust Fund with the sole aim of galvanizing funds towards assisting those who otherwise would be left to die as a result of their poor financial status.”

   “This is most likely the first time that a group is finding a nexus between investment banking, celebrity and charity in intervening and seeking solution to both social and medical issues”, he stated.

  Jezreel further stated that the fund would run on a structural tripod- FCMB serving as the collection bank, while CSL Trustees Limited, serving as the Trustee firm, having full custody of the funds and reserving the rights to disbursement, usually directly to the partner hospital in India (Vikram Hospital). 

  “OJB Foundation would provide the patients from their register of patients which grows astronomically almost on a daily basis as a result of their periodic kidney health clinic”, he explained.

  Also speaking, a representative of the Bowtie Club, Mr Joseph Edgar, stated that the Kidney Trust Fund is committed to helping victims of kidney failure get maximum healthcare and treatment abroad.

  “Our projection is that in five years, the initiative should be in a position to build a local facility with up-to-date modern equipment with which we plan to render the transplant and other associated services to our people according to set international standards.” 

  “To achieve this, we have appointed a frontline Asset Management Firm- FCMB Asset Management to manage a portion of Funds raised over a five-year period”, he added.

  He further added: “The objective of the project is to raise N200m monthly by soliciting N1, 000 monthly donations from a minimum of 200,000 contributors.”

  “In order to promote awareness of kidney and renal failure issues, we propose the hosting of a stage play. To achieve this, we have partnered with PAW Studios, a major theatre production firm to stage a play by March 2015.

This will also serve as an opportunity to raise wholesale funds for the trust fund. In collaboration with PAW Studios, we propose to use a stage play as a medium of expressing our goal and as an instrument to sensitize the public to our cause,” he further disclosed.

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