Could you please tell us about what you do for Linkachild, and how you got involved.
Meet the Administrator….
olusinabello : well I started working with link* ( linkachild)
olusinabello : as a volunteer sum three yrs ago
olusinabello : or let me give a background on myself…
olusinabello : If that’s ok?
Refinedone: Please do…
olusinabello : My name is Olusina Bello am 31 male ..single for now
olusinabello : I have a degree in history & international relations
olusinabello: I love reading , writing and doing research work
olusinabello : I also enjoy sports , soccer, basketball, volleyball, chess and snooker
olusinabello : I also am an avid runner
olusinabello : professionally I work with linkachild as the administrator
olusinabello : I am responsible for the day to day running of linkachild
olusinabello : and I report to the board of trustees
olusinabello : administration, liaising with the donors and the homes..
Adoption in Nigeria…
Refinedone: Adoption is an issue I have a great passion for… what would you say is the response like in Nigeria Fostering and general attitude to Orphanages. I was in the country a few weeks ago… and saw something in the News about Orphanages… and the help needed…that did get to me
Refinedone: How does Linkachild help ?
olusinabello: Adoption in Nigeria is generally not as organised as it is in Europe and America
olusinabello : fostering is almost non existent
olusinabello : it works on paper…but in real life it doesn’t work that way
Refinedone: Please explain..
olusinabello : so many issues need to be tackled
Refinedone: I would think mindset would be one
Refinedone: cultural mindset that is…
olusinabello : the general structures are eroded, there is a general malaise in the system. In Lagos it takes between 2 months to 24 months to start and finish an adoption process
olusinabello ): the red tape and bottlenecks are too hectic
olusinabello : but those who persevere in the end get it
Link-a-child steps in…
olusinabello : as per linkachild we are not an adoption agency
olusinabello : we only assist those seeking to adopt by linking them with homes where they can get kids to adopt
Refinedone: but you work closely with Orphanages?
olusinabello : yes we do
olusinabello : the process is regulated entirely by the ministry of women affairs
olusinabello : we presently have about 86 homes on our database
Refinedone: What would you say are the challenges we have in this area… of Orphanages.. Do they get any Government funding? And how is it regulated?
olusinabello : Government homes get minimal funding
olusinabello : private homes rely on whatever they can find
olusinabello : That’s where we come in
olusinabello : we try our best to raise funds
Refinedone: I have to thank you so far for your time…
olusinabello: from October to date we have been able to raise about 1.2million Naira for different homes in our database
olusinabello : You are welcome
olusinabello : am glad I can help
Catholic church and Muslim women group….
Refinedone: I would like to know what practical assistance linkachild needs at the moment?
olusinabello : well for one we bear all our admin costs ourselves 100% of donations are sent directly to the homes.
olusinabello: we don’t take anything for ourselves ..Which is against the normal convention?
Refinedone: wow!…
Refinedone: What about help from the Religious sector?
olusinabello : a lot of the homes are run by religious organisation ..The Catholic Church is very strong in that regards
olusinabello : also some Muslim women’s group run a number of homes
Refinedone: good to hear…
Funding…
olusinabello : however the major challenge as always is inadequate funding
Refinedone: why? I wonder in a country like ours.. That should not be a challenge
olusinabello: we are trying to get steady funding to meet basic needs , food, clothing , shelter
Refinedone: Exactly how do you go about getting funding?
olusinabello : its an endemic issue of corruption
olusinabello: we solicit from donors and individuals by making representation to them on behalf of the homes
olusinabello : for example we were able to get an oil exploration firm Addax Petroleumto build a water & power project for a home in Imo state
olusinabello: we also have successfully lobbied an auto firm , they will be spending 1 million naira each on two homes to help them improve their infrastructure
olusinabello : that’s roughly about $10, 000
Refinedone: Good News. And none of this is funded by our Government!
olusinabello: another bank is committing to spend about $120,000 this year on 6 homes
olusinabello : all that is private initiative instigated by linkachild
Refinedone: I celebrate your work….
olusinabello : don’t know if you heard Beyonce Knowles is in the diamond association by making a donation of $10,000
olusinabello: to linkachild on behalf of Beyonce knowles
Refinedone: I read that on your website…
olusinabello: we hosted her to a party with some orphans during her visit to Nigeria in October of 2006
olusinabello: yep
olusinabello: so we do try to throw our weight around
olusinabello: but indeed we can do more
Refinedone: Yes of course!!
Refinedone: there is always room for more…
olusinabello : we need more funds to be able to reach more homes and more pple
olusinabello: we need to advertise and let more people know bout us
olusinabello: we need billboards , radio and television adverts
olusinabello: and you know all these cost money
olusinabello: most of our overheads go into travelling and visiting the homes
olusinabello: we can say proudly that we are the only organisation with up to date info on almost 90 orphanages in Nigeria
olusinabello: even the government doesn’t have the kind of info we have
olusinabello: all this we update regularly
olusinabello: from next week am off to the north for 5 days to supervise some of our projects and update info on some homes
olusinabello: so you see we need all the help we can get
Celebrate the trustees, staff and volunteers…
olusinabello: This might shock you, apart from our trustees we only have two full time staff
Rrfinedone: paid staff?
olusinabello: myself and my colleague a female
olusinabello: yep…
Refinedone: the rest?
olusinabello: 3 volunteers for now
Refinedone: please what is her name.. She should be celebrated too
olusinabello: Herrietta Agboifo
olusinabello: but really its not about us
olusinabello: if people must be celebrated its the trustees
olusinabello : who put there money where their mouth is
olusinabello : they fund the work of linkachild and that itself is something
Closing comment…not quiet 
Refinedone: What would be your closing comment on this issue… what would you like to pass on to others and hopefully encourage ppl to get involved one way or an other… if adoption is not an option at the moment and the fostering is not being regulated.. What about sponsorship….Volunteer work and contributing financially
olusinabello : from conservative estimates their are about 7 million orphans in Nigeria
olusinabello : let me correct a notion adoption is a viable option
olusinabello: its just that its a bit muddled presently
olusinabello: and it takes a lot of red tape
Refinedone: hmmm..
olusinabello: we welcome volunteers and sponsorship
olusinabello: the situation here is critical
HIV Babies…
olusinabello: HIV babies are cropping up
olusinabello: its not like its the end of the world don’t want to sound like an alarmist ..But truly we need to start paying attention to that epidemic, some kids are dying needlessly
Refinedone: That is self is an issue of its own
olusinabello: any agency or individual who feels like helping can get in touch wit us
olusinabello: yes indeed it is …
olusinabello: we just want to get as many pple involved as possible
olusinabello: there is so much to do and too few labours as the bible says
Refinedone: Well… we are going to have to break it all down… you have opened my eyes to so much
olusinabello : if we cant save everyone
olusinabello: at least lets save as many as we can
Refinedone: before we even start talking about adoption.. Just looking after the Orphans is what we should be tackling
olusinabello : yes most definitely
olusinabello : adoption should be an end product of being an orphan
olusinabello: but if we don’t keep the kids alive long enough for them to be adopted what happen…
olusinabello : we lose them
olusinabello : so while not neglecting adoption lets look
olusinabello : at how we can take care of the babies who are being dumped almost on a daily basis
Refinedone: my head is spinning with all the info you are dishing out … my heart just aches
olusinabello : Angela, if you have seen the kind of pain I have seen in those kids
olusinabello : u cant help but feel passionate
olusinabello : its really heart wrenching
olusinabello : when you see a 3 day old baby on a rubbish heap
Refinedone: I saw an abandoned baby on tv .. still with the cord attached to her
olusinabello : left to die
Refinedone: I just cried
olusinabello : there are many like that almost daily
olusinabello : to see a kid die of HIV thru no fault of hers is even worse
olusinabello : I mean all the pain and suffering just because she couldn’t get anti retro
olusinabello : after a while u stop crying and get angry
Refinedone: Anti retro?
olusinabello : anti retro viral drugs
olusinabello : HIV medicine….
olusinabello: 80 % of kids wit HIV can’t get d drugs
olusinabello: cos most of them are in the villages
olusinabello: jus last month we had to transport a 3 yr old boy from his village to Lagos to get d drugs cos the doctors won’t dispense any drugs without seeing the kids in person
olusinabello : That is why linkachild becomes important
olusinabello : we give a credible outlet to get involved
olusinabello : we can guarantee that their donations will be getting to those who need it
Refinedone: Thank you so much for this Mr Bello …
I personally would like to celebrate the trustees of www.Linkachild.org well-done and keep on doing what you’re doing…
To quote Mr Olusina Bello “they put there money where their mouth is” you did not just talk the talk but you have also walked the walk..
Trustees:
Mr.Oluwatoyin Subair
– MD/ CEO Entertainment Highway Ltd,Principal Partner of Abraham & Co
Mr. Nzan Ogbe
– MD Makarios Nig Ltd
Mr.Olanrewaju Kupoluyi
– Director, KOS World
Mrs Toyin Bello
– Director, TY Bello Photography
Mr.Mena Ajakpovi
– Partner, Abraham & Co.
Mrs.Ololade Ososami
– Managing Partner, Abraham & Co.
watch-out for meet the Trustees 
