Welcome to Living Water Foundation's website...

Our Objective is:

(1) To provide opportunity for and meeting the basic learning needs of the disadvantaged, disabled, deformed handicapped and /or less-privileged children ,the excluded poor ,out of school youths with little or no access to basic education.

(2) To design innovative measures and activities to fund basic education and promote equal educational opportunities for the disadvantaged, disabled, deformed, displaced, the rural poor, refugees etc to meet their basic learning needs and give them opportunities of exchanging ideas with people from other countries of the world.

(3) To reduce the world` s number of illiterate adults and promote mental dignity of the less privileged people.

(4) To process raw brains of the disadvantaged and less privileged group into productive and resourceful entities and ensure their full integration into the society to contribute to world economy.

(5) To promote access for all –to computer education, information technology and know-how including access to internet to the less privileged without discrimination.

(6) To build the capacity of education authorities at local, national and international level and relevant stakeholders to meet the basic learning needs including computer education of the disadvantaged group and attain education for all (EFA) target by 2015 and sustain same thereafter. 
 
(7) To care and carter for the medical needs and overall welfare of the old, the aged and Elderly people and rehabilitate them to forestall high mortality rate amongst them.

(8) To established offices, institutions, homes etc in Europe, Africa and United states of America to accomplish the foregoing objectives. Such home , institutes and complexes shall include;

1) Elderly or Old People, s Home

2) Computer Institute

3) Less-privileged complex etc

4) A model education institution for disadvantaged, handicapped, disabled and less –privileged.

(9)To ensure that the less-privileged and the aged enjoy their Rights to standard of living adequate for the Health and well-being of themselves and their families as to Food ,clothing ,Housing and Medical care and necessary social amenities. (including the enjoyment of their right to physical and mental health)

(10) To campaign for the inclusion of information technology in the basic curriculum in Africa

(11) The foundation shall carry out the foregoing objectives via detailed rolling plans to be worked out by the Board of the Trustees and /or Governors. 
 
(12) The Foundation, shall source funds from United Nations and its agencies ,Donor Agencies, Foundations, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, institution including also governments institutions to carry out it, s objectives. 
 
(13) The Foundation shall be made to commission ,market, design or manufacture suitable / specific resource materials for the development and training of the handicapped / less privileged

PREAMBLE: 
 
(a) Recognizing that education should be directed to impart life skills ,human dignity ,self esteem and self confidence on the recipients while developing their personalities ,talents abilities and potential to live a full and satisfying life in the society.

(b) Emphasizing the importance of education as a key to sustainable development, peace ,stability and as effective means for participation of people in the society

(c) Appreciating the fact that education promotes mutual understanding, exchange of ideas .tolerance .friendship and healthy interactions between people of different nations, tribes, religions, language etc.

(d) Appreciating also the fact that everyone has right to education aimed at meeting basic learning of needs of children ,youths and adults

(e) Welcoming the Dakar framework for action(2000)and Education for All (EFA)and United Nations Millennium Declaration in which it is resolved that children everywhere, boys and girls alike will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and that girls will have equal access to all levels of education by 2015.

(f) Regretting that basic education in Africa is yet to be directed to the full development of the human personality and the realization of its potential, even as graduates of the system have no identifiable skills, acumen or contribute meaningfully to world economy.

(g) Recognizing that realization of the right to education without discrimination contributes to poverty reduction. 
 
(h) Considering that discrimination in education is a violation of Right to Education guaranteed by Universal Declaration of Human Rights  
 
( i) Deeply concerned with the fact that the less-privileged, the disadvantaged, the Handicapped, the disabled, deformed, the excluded poor, girls, women, refugees, displaced persons nomads have been denied opportunity of satisfying their basic learning needs on account of poverty ,civil strife, economic stagnation, pregnancy, debt burden, war, marginalization etc.

(j) Recognizing the need to provide functional mass literacy, adult and non-formal education to the less privileged children, youths and adults who had no opportunity of formal education or could n0ot complete basic education for reasons beyond their control.

(k) Regretting that quality of education ,the acquisition of human values and skills fall far short of the standard and needs of individuals to equip him /her to live fulfilling life and to be self reliant (especially in sub Saharan Africa).

(l) Invoking the spirit of our computer age and the realities of our internet generation, which require us to harness new information and communication technology to help achieve EFA goals, and maximize the potentials of the less privileged.

(m) Bearing in mind the necessity of assisting the disabled, the deformed, the disadvantaged, handicapped, while meeting their health needs and assuring their welfare to live a happy life of human dignity.

(n) Realizing the need to take the responsibility of rehabilitating the aged, old and/or Elderly people who devoted their energies and resources at the time for humanity and benefit of mankind.

(o) Emphasizing the imperative to resettle, accommodate and provide for the aged: old and/or elderly (especially those who are poor) in a conductive environment with Health-care facilities and basic amenities of life.

(p) Regretting also the denial of the rights of the less privileged and the age to a standard of living ,adequate for their health and well being of themselves and their families as to Food, Clothing, Housing and Medical Care and necessary social services.

DIGNITY OF HUMAN PERSONS
Article 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (This earlier Declaration used the older term):-"Disabled Persons have the inherent Right to respect for their Human Dignity……..Whatever the origin, nature and seriousness of their handicaps and disabilities, have the same fundamental Rights as their fellow-citizens of the same age, which implies first and foremost Right to enjoy a Decent Life, as normal and full as possible.

Article 4 states further that "Disabled Persons have the same Civil and Political Rights…….."

It follows that the physically challenged fellows have the Right to life, Right to Dignity of Human Persons, Freedom of Speech, and _expression, Freedom of Movement, Right to marry and found a family, Right to vote and to be voted for, Right to participate actively in the society, Right to privacy etc.

RIGHT TO ENJOY SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL RIGHTS.
For avoidance of doubt, social and economic Rights includes:- Right to food, housing, Right to Medicare (Health), Right to Education, Right to Social Security, Right to Clothing, Right to Basic Necessities of Life that make life worth living etc. Without these Rights being fulfilled, life of old people would be devoid of its meaning.

Article 25 of UDHR 1948 "Everyone has the Right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the Right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, DISABILITY, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
It is interesting to note that the UDHR 56 years ago recognizes the need for payment of social security stipend to physically challenged persons and even old persons. This is to enable them provide for food, clothing and live a decent life of Dignity. UDHR envisages a situation where the government would provide the basic necessities of life to the vulnerable groups. Remember that a Disabled Person was defined as "Any person unable to provide (ensure) by himself or herself the necessities of a normal individual……"

Article 7(9) of the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons states further, Disabled persons have the Rights to Economic and Social Security and to a decent level of living.
Again, a legally binding U.N Covenant and The International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ICESCR in its Article 2 (2) requires all countries that have ratified same to ensure that all their citizens enjoy all the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provided therein without discrimination of any kind as to race, color, sex, language, religion political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status such as physical or sensory disability etc.
The issue whether the vulnerable groups in our society are entitled to the enjoyment of social, economic & cultural rights is beyond question. It is therefore settled that since they are full fledged human beings they are entitled to the same rights with other people but due to their peculiar challenges the Int’l instruments went further to provide for special measures for the satisfaction of their Rights. But, before looking at the flagrant violations of the Rights of these vulnerable groups in our society today, let us examine the special measures.