DEFEND Trust Fund Seeks Partnership to Restore Hope in Military Barracks

DEFEND Trust Fund Seeks Partnership to Restore Hope in Military Barracks

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria

In a bid to deepen its campaign for positive transformation within Nigeria’s military and paramilitary communities, the DEFEND Trust Fund paid a courtesy visit to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, on Tuesday.

The delegation, led by the group’s National Coordinator, Mohammed Usman Thompson, was warmly received by the Director of Logistics, CORE S.O. AbdulRaheem. Thompson explained that the visit was part of ongoing efforts to build partnerships aimed at uplifting the lives of servicemen’s families and revitalizing support systems across military communities.

He noted that the DEFEND Trust Fund is passionately committed to “supporting the families behind the uniform” — the often-forgotten heroes who hold the home front while their loved ones defend the nation.

Through unity, hope, and development initiatives, the group envisions a future where young people in the barracks can thrive and reach their full potential, rather than suffer the consequences of neglect when their parents, the nation’s defenders, fall in the line of duty.

“My dream,” Thompson shared, “is to see a structured and sustainable system that offers real support to these families, rather than the fleeting sympathy they receive when tragedy strikes.”

The DEFEND Trust Fund Campaign is a national citizens’ movement advocating for the creation of a ₦100 billion Defence Families Empowerment and Development Trust Fund.

Its objectives include providing scholarships, vocational training, cooperative financing, and counseling services for military families — ensuring that every child and widow of a serviceman is empowered to rebuild a dignified life.

In his response, CORE S.O. AbdulRaheem commended the initiative, describing it as a noble and much-needed intervention. He expressed the institution’s willingness to collaborate with the group, emphasizing that effective implementation of such programs could bring lasting change to barracks life.

Speaking from personal experience, AbdulRaheem recalled his own upbringing in the barracks and lamented the deterioration of living conditions over the years.

“The barrack environment today is a very terrible one,” he said. “In the past, being called a ‘barrack boy’ was a badge of honor — it meant discipline, courage, and pride. Sadly, that image has been replaced with negative stereotypes.”

He urged parents within the barracks to play their part in restoring the lost glory of military communities by taking responsibility for their children’s moral and social upbringing.

The visit ended on a hopeful note, with both parties expressing optimism that through collaboration and compassion, the DEFEND Trust Fund will help restore dignity, opportunity, and pride to the homes of those who defend Nigeria.