An Address Presented By Dr David Makongo, Chairman of Makongo Family Charity, Mafac, on the occasion of the launching of the Mafac Tailoring Training and Research Center for Refugees

Ikom August 31 2018

The Chairman,IKom LGA
All Administrative and Traditional Authorities,
Distinguished Personalities,
Fellow Refugee Community in Ikom and Nigeria,
Ladies and Gentleman,

I am humbled to be here today and to be part of this historic event. I want to first thank the Nigerian government for all what it has been doing to carter for the thousands of refugees from Cameroon for close to 2 years now. We want to also thank all the Nigerian families hosting some of our people and all other organisations which have being providing relief for our fellow brothers and sisters.

I wish to reassure all of you, that the Makongo Family Charity will always stand by all the refugees. We have earlier donated benches, footed hospital bills for refugees and we will continue to do so. You can visit our website www.mafac.org and see some of the efforts Mafac is putting in, to assist not only refugees but IDPs in Cameroon and the rest of the world. Its our believe that majority can't be sufferings while we standby and watch. This Tailoring training workshop is for all the refugees, I mean all, who want to be empowered through Tailoring. To the management team who have accepted to volunteer and see this project run smoothly, I urge you to be tolerant and treat everyone trainee with love and respect. To the trainees this is a life time opportunity Mafac is offering you, training you for free. I enjoin you to be disciplined, time conscious and hardworking. Let me announce that Mafac is giving this training center its first contract, beginning today to sew hundreds of uniforms to pupils and student refugees who would be back to school soon. No child would be left out. We do encourage many more to be confident and come with more of such contracts for the refugees. It is our wish that in a medium and long term, you become self reliant.

Let me also announce that this project would not have been successful without the efforts and huge sacrifice of many people. I want to applaud Mafac's Project Development Officer, Mr Mustapha Tekognang, who did not sleep to see this project come to reality. We remember also the efforts of Mafac's global coordinator comrade Solomon Amabo who is doing his best to ensure refugees are treated with dignity and respect.
We are most especially grateful for the huge financial contributions of Mr Alogwede Valentine, Comrade Michel in France and Mme Aisha Anne.

We thank you for trusting Mafac and we shall continue to do more for our suffering people.
Mr Chairman distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to urge all of you to know that this project is yours and so handle it like a precious gift. Certificates would be awarded and Mafac would always encourage excellence.
I want to end by reminding the refugee community that, they would never be forgotten by Mafac. They should remain law abiding in their host country, treat everyone with love and care.
I will end by thanking God for his grace and pray that we keep hoping for a better future.

Long Live our fellow Refugee community,
I thank you all for your kind attention.

Speech Read by Thomas Ngoe, Mafac Cordinator, Nigeria.