AS YOU ENJOY THE SEASON, SPREAD THE NEWS, NOT THE VIRUS.  KAYODE GOMES

Kayode Gomes, founder, Love Planet Organisation, LPO, says to all, ''Although this festive season is to show love, everyone should show love in a decent way and not be carried away by the merriment of the season''. 

Love Planet Organisation is a human right advocacy non-governmental organization that addresses issues affecting people with disability, people living with infection and HIV/AIDS.  The NGO ensures comprehensive access to health and protection of infected and affected people. And so far, the organization has recorded tremendous achievements.

In Norther Nigeria, poverty alleviation programme was conducted with a workshop in entrepreneurial skill. The initiative empowered 30 participates with the acquisition of shops and other equipment to facilitate their newly acquired skill. This is in a bid to keep their minds busy and distract them from frivolities or immoral act that results into HIV/AIDS or other infections.  The project was funded by UN-HABITAT.

Also, HIV MARPS (most at risk population) intervention was conducted in Kano State, funded by SFH & POP COUNCIL through Global Fund (R9).

Furthermore, the NGO organizes humanity concert annually, on children’s day to celebrate children with disability. On that day, some relief materials & food items are distributed to motherless children’s home. Gifts are also given out to the best student with disability in the state. This is done to show them love and make them relevant in the society.

To advocate on a right of people living with HIV/AIDS including awareness on how one can live with HIV/AIDS, media outreach programs are done in media houses like Cool FM and Wazobia FM. As the NGO remains front liners in dissemination of information in the society, it tends to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The media reach extended to various northern States such as Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe and Niger.
The visit to orphanage homes was not left out as the NGO discovered the daily experience of orphans who have been subjected to difficulty of living due to their disabilities. Some of them are enrolled in schools, learning daily under make shift classrooms, under trees while others share sitting space on broken benches. The organisation’s involvement in the annual media project of partners “One Big Family Project” conveyed the unreserved passion to touch lives, attempting to meet their needs through foods items and clothing; albeit advocating for State government attention.

However, the NGO also diversified into movie production and articles to canvass on the need to avoid the terminal and dreaded disease, HIV/AIDS. The movie MIND OF THE DEAD, talks about the reckless life youth indulge in and the irreversible consequences. It focuses on ABORTION, CULTISM & HIV/AIDS. Also, a book titled BE MOTIVATED has been published to divert people’s minds to achieving great results, pursuing great goals and remain focused.

In addition, HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing for people with disability was conducted during the 2012 project.

During a media interview, Gomes said heartily, ‘’Love Planet is here to stay, we have been saving lives and we will continue to save humanity. Let’s join hands to make a better living for people with disability, people living with infection and HIV/AIDS’’.

Love planet Organisation is founded by Gomes O. Kayode in 2004 when it was a youth development group. The organization was renewed and registered in 2011.