11/06/2026
CSOs ARE THE ‘BRIDGE’ TO THE GRASSROOTS — TAMBCF VISION BEARER APPEARS ON EBBC SALT FM.. ADVOCATES SYSTEMS CHANGE FOR MULTIPLE BIRTHS IN EBONYI
ABAKALIKI, EBONYI STATE — On Monday, June 8, 2026, the airwaves of Ebonyi State Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC) Salt 98.1FM Abakaliki came alive with a powerful discourse on accountability, civic engagement, and the welfare of vulnerable demographics during the *CSOs Voices on Radio* program.
Sponsored by Global Rights Nigeria, the interactive segment featured Papa Ejima Godwin Chinonso Ezeaka, the Vision Bearer of the Twins and Multiple Births Care Foundation (TAMBCF).
Mr. Ezeaka used the platform to outline the foundational purpose of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as vital, non-profit, non-political bridges linking marginalized grassroots populations to state policymakers.
Reflecting on TAMBCF’s journey since its inception in 2017 and its formal CAC registration in 2018, he emphasized that CSOs do not seek political power or financial profit, but are strictly driven by community-level impact.
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*Redefining Twins and Multiple Births: From Stigma to National Treasures*
A key focus of the broadcast was the unique socio-economic realities confronting indigent Families who give birth to multiples — such as twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets and higher order multiples — in Ebonyi State. While modern culture outwardly celebrates these births, severe poverty and lingering superstitions often push vulnerable households into isolation, neglect, or crisis.
Ezeaka noted that a single delivery can instantly lead to double or triple hospital bills, catastrophic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) costs, and the heartbreaking detention of mothers and newborns in wards due to an inability to pay. Furthermore, simultaneous educational costs frequently trap families, forcing them to make difficult choices regarding which children must drop out of school.
To break this generational cycle, TAMBCF anchors its operations on a "sacred duty" to close the vast divide between the wealthy and the impoverished, drawing deep historical inspiration from renowned pro-life figures who rescued multiples in Nigeria:
(i) *Mary Slessor:* The pioneering missionary who halted the killing of twins in Old Calabar, declaring them special gifts from God.
(ii) *Rev. William Imbush:* The clergyman who, at Amagu-Agba in 1966, saved twins who grew up to become prominent leaders, including the Archbishop, Barr. Christopher Ede, and Hon. Engr. Peter Edeh (who now serves as TAMBCF’s Board of Trustees Chairman/Co-Chair).
(iii) *Rev. Fr. Raymond Ezeonu:* The priest who bravely sheltered, salvaged, and educated tradition-rejected multiples at Ezzagu, Ishielu LGA during the 1970s and 1980s.
"Our mission is advocacy, service, and oversight," Ezeaka stated. "At TAMBCF, we set out to change the narrative around multiple births — from viewing them as a burden or taboo to recognizing them as a national treasure that requires specific protection."
To drive this mission, TAMBCF operates on four fundamental mandates: *Welfare** (providing nutritional, financial and medical relief); *Advocacy** (campaigning for free health and schooling); *Awareness* (eradicating lingering superstitions), and *Data/Policy Integration* through the building of the state's first unified Ebonyi Twins and Multiple Births Registry.
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*Confronting the "Triple Threat" in the CSO Space*
Addressing the broader civil society landscape, Ezeaka highlighted a "Triple Threat" currently choking the operations of smaller, grassroots NGOs:
1. *The Funding Gap:* Global donor pools are shrinking, local corporate philanthropy is in its infancy, and many groups rely entirely on volunteer sacrifices.
2. *Regulatory Burdens:* Smaller CSOs often find themselves spending more time managing rigorous compliance paperwork — such as Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) annual filings, SCUML certifications, and multiple Ministry approvals — than performing direct field work.
3. *Trust and Visibility:* Organizations frequently battle a public misconception that all NGOs are heavily funded by foreign actors, demanding high levels of transparency to validate local impact.
To overcome these institutional barriers, Ezeaka advised fellow CSOs to view regulatory compliance not as an administrative burden, but as an indispensable "armor of credibility." He recommended that organizations proactively draft internal policies (such as child protection, data privacy, and financial guidelines) and align their work closely with their supervising Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). TAMBCF, for example, is domiciled under the Child Development Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs.
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*Building Local Sustainability Beyond "Seasonal Rain"*
Ezeaka described international donor funding as "seasonal rain," whereas sustainable organizational structures represent a reliable, deep-drilled "borehole." To maintain operations during funding droughts, TAMBCF relies heavily on local resource mobilization.
Furthermore, the foundation is pivoting toward a social enterprise model, establishing a cooperative society and a dedicated palm oil/garri farm, where all commercial profits are piped back into settling emergency hospital debts for indigent mothers. Powered by a 100% volunteer network of passionate caregivers, the group maximizes community asset-sharing to deliver public value without high operational costs.
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*"Partnership, Not Protest": A Collaborative Governance Model*
The broadcast advocated for a healthy, collaborative relationship between civil society and state actors, describing CSOs as the "critical friends" of government. Rather than adopting an adversarial posture, Ezeaka called on governments to leverage the trust and empirical data gathered by CSOs at the frontline.
He lauded the Ebonyi State Ministry of Budget, Planning, Monitoring and Research and the Dig Foundation's Community Charter of Demands (CCD) model, which successfully harvested ₦20 Billion worth of real citizen needs for the 2026 budget. By utilizing this exact blueprint, TAMBCF has effectively submitted the Ebonyi State Twins and Multiple Births Registry (EBTMBR) into the 2027 CCD budget pool, transforming emergency "rescue operations" into institutionalized, state-backed resilience.
*Historic Wins and Lasting Systemic Shifts*
TAMBCF highlighted three monumental milestones recorded through its advocacy:
(i) *The AE-FUTHA Policy Triumph:* What began as a routine TAMBCF intervention to rescue a mother detained over medical bills has blossomed into a standing, official humanitarian policy at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (Aefutha), making deliveries for multiple births completely free of charge. The foundation is currently working to scale this identical framework into a national Multiple Births Protection and Support Bill.
(ii) *Cultural Reclamation:* The foundation celebrated the 10th consecutive edition of its annual Twins and Multiple Births Festival (TAMBFEST) in March 2026, marked by the historic launching of the "Abakaliki Declaration" at St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral. Supported extensively by AMURT Nigeria — which has directly empowered numerous multiple-birth households and sponsored International Multiple Birth Awareness Week (IMBAW) —stigma at the Primary Healthcare (PHC) level is successfully dropping.
(iii) *Policy Structuring:** Through the Ministry of Women Affairs, the state has formally pledged to commit to moving the EBTMBR database from a conceptual initiative into a designated budget line for 2027. Additionally, the foundation has successfully operationalized the Ebonyi Twins and Multiple Births Association and the Parents of Twins and Multiple Births Cooperative Society, keeping thousands connected via digital platforms.
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*A Clarion Call to Action*
Concluding the broadcast, Ezeaka issued an urgent, multi-stakeholder appeal ahead of the next major festival slated for March 27, 2027, in Abakaliki:
(i) *To Government and National Health Insurance:* Expand specific health insurance packages to cover advanced prenatal scans and specialized NICU incubators for multiples, and introduce an extended 12-month maternity leave policy for mothers of Twins or Multiple Births to preserve neonatal lives.
(ii) *To Hospitals:* Formalize a "No Baby Left in Hospital" policy, incorporating institutional medical bill waivers and widespread Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) training for preterm babies.
(iii) *To Philanthropists and Citizens:* Recognize that small contributions go a long way — where ₦10,000 provides basic diapers and ₦50,000 offsets crucial hospital components.
"CSOs are not 'them'; CSOs are 'us,'" Ezeaka reminded listeners. "When you lift one twin, you lift a family. When you fight one harmful tradition or end a stigma, you free a community."
Struggling families, volunteers, or partners are urged to reach out directly to the foundation via Email: [email protected]; their official page Twins and Multiple Births Care Foundation or through their dedicated hotline and WhatsApp contact at +2348060215066, standing firm on the timeless regional maxim: "Ejima bu ngọzi Chukwu — Twins and Multiple Births are God’s blessing."
