About Us

Our Vision

A Society In Which Vulnerable Households Have Access To Quality Care, Support And Rights Are Respected And Protected.

Our Mission

To Facilitate Access To Quality Care And Support To Vulnerable Households.

Charles Effiong Foundation

Established in 2014, The Professor Charles Effiong Foundation (PCEF), is a not-for-profit organization situated in Calabar, Cross River State initiated by family members in memory of Professor Charles Edet Effiong (FRCP), a renowned Community Leader and Consultant Paediatrician. Professor Effiong was particularly passionate about helping vulnerable people. This was probably because he was an orphan who had received support for his education from his community and family.

The organization aims to facilitate the provision of comprehensive care and support to vulnerable households initially in areas of Cross River State and afterwards in other areas of Nigeria. With a vision of a society in which vulnerable households have access to quality care, and support and whose rights are respected and protected. The Foundation strives to support and promote education, health and child rights for this vulnerable population to achieve a more equitable society.

Currently, it is active in the southern areas of Cross River State, Nigeria, where it works in collaboration with local groups and other organizations through partnership to raise awareness on abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation against children and to improve the education and livelihoods of vulnerable households.

Our Inspiration

Ntufam Emeritus Professor -Charles Edet Effiong MBCHB, DCH, FRCP

Professor Charles Effiong was a neonatal paediatrician, a pioneering academic, and a renowned community leader. He trained at the University of Leeds and practiced in the United Kingdom in the sixties and at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in the seventies before being appointed Professor of Medicine in 1978. In 1979 he returned home to help establish the College of Medicine of the University of Calabar and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, in the process starting the Department of Paediatrics.

He was deeply committed to training medical students and Paediatric residents. He gradually became involved in departmental, medical school and ultimately university administration, serving in various capacities as the Acting Provost of the College Medical Sciences, Deputy Vice Chancellor (for two terms with different Vice Chancellors), UNICAL and was later appointed Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar. He had the great honour of being the first indigenous Vice Chancellor and the fourth Vice Chancellor of UNICAL. He retired as Vice Chancellor in 1992 and was appointed Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics in acknowledgement of his contribution to the Medical School particularly to the Department of Paediatrics in 2007. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1986.

Having been the beneficiary of a community scholarship to England for tertiary education, he was passionate about encouraging and helping any young person he could to get a good education, particularly girls realizing that educating women impacts the next generation through their children. He was always active either paying school fees, helping with rent or spending time and money farming and then giving all the crop away and helping the young people secure jobs. He was a generous man who derived joy from blessing others.

He was particularly passionate about developing his home community of Oban in Akamkpa LGA spearheading or playing major roles in; the siting and building of the cottage hospital, the secondary school and the church. In recognition of his contribution he was awarded the title Ntufam Ebarim (the bringer of light) by the community. Until his death he continued to serve as a member of the village council. Though he was a lover of all, he was also extremely passionate about the advancement of his tribe the Ejagham and was in the vanguard of the development and promotion of Ejagham people everywhere.

He was also heavily involved in as an old boy of his alma mater the St Patrick’s College Calabar. He served as national president of the old boys association for fifteen years, and was similarly heavily involved in the construction of the Catholic Church building in the school.

He held various leading positions in various professional associations, councils and boards including the American Society for the Advancement of Science, the Nigerian Medical Association, the Paediatric Society of Nigeria, the International Paediatric Society, the Sickle Cell Society of Nigeria, Equity Investment Co. & the New Nigeria Foundation.

He was married till death to Ntunkae Dr. Mrs Adiaha Effiong and was blessed with five children and several grandchildren.

Our History & Achievement

Since late 2014, the Professor Charles Effiong Foundation has been working to provide educational support, health care and protection to vulnerable children and groups in communities in the southern part of Cross River State. Its achievements to date are:

Annual Education Event

For three years 2015-2017 this event has brought together about four hundred students in public senior secondary schools in Calabar, armed them with useful information and provided them with career and scholarship options available to them as they transit from secondary to tertiary education. The 2017 edition introduced a leadership component and a school quiz competition.

Child Protection

The organisation has established itself as a leading advocate of child rights and protection in Cross River State. With numerous awareness campaigns to schools and communities. The organisation is a member of the Child Protection Network and partners with the State’s Ministry of Sustainable Development and Social Welfare as well as other organisations in the management of various reported case of child abuse.

Scholarships

The annual provision of scholarships to fifty vulnerable children in Calabar South, Calabar Municipality and Akamkpa local government areas of Cross River State. Scholarships have included the provision of books, bags, uniforms, sandals etc.

Health Outreaches

In December 2016 & 2017, the Foundation partnered with Pro-Health International and Caritas International in the provision of free health intervention services to local communities. Providing services that included mammography scans, eye and dental tests, glasses, general consulting, laboratory tests, dispensing of various free drugs etc.

Online Outreach

The organisation publishes a monthly newsletter and also utilises its blog on its website and its social media handles (Facebook and twitter) to create awareness about issues in the society including sexual molestation of children, child rights, gender issues and the plight of street children.