Ruth David Andras's story
Ruth's story is one of the many that reminds us that finding shelter is only the beginning. Displaced families need access to healthcare, safe housing and education to rebuild their lives.
What we have delivered
Our impact
Since 2018 we have moved from family-and-friends donations to structured, partner-led delivery. Our early projects built the relationships and credibility on which our larger programmes are now being designed.
Photos and films
The work in pictures
Photographs from our outreaches, classrooms and communities. Films and more of the people's own stories are added as they are cleared for publication.
Photography: SageView Productions. Published with the consent of the people shown; if you appear in an image here and would like it removed, tell us and it will come down promptly.
Follow the work on Instagram
More of our projects and the stories of the people we work with are shared on Instagram as @synia_aid_foundation.
Stories
Stories from the field
Luka Yazama recounts John Ambana's story
The Secretary of New Kuchingoro IDP Camp, Mr Luka Yazama, shows us the conditions John Ambana now lives in.
Yakubu Hodo Gameche's story
Yakubu, a farmer originally from Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, shared his experience with us during our visit to the Gurku IDP community.
Written
A classroom built from within the camp
At Durumi, the furniture for a learning space is being made by a carpenter who lives in the camp. One budget line, two results.
Read the story
Written
The market women of Keffi
A trader who loses her stock loses her customers, then her credit, then her standing. Love on the Street began where that chain starts.
Read the story
Projects
What we have delivered
| Year | Project | Partner | Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Love on the Street | — | Support for vulnerable women traders and security personnel in Keffi |
| 2026 | Leadership Development Summit | — | Youth leadership summit on ethical leadership and emotional intelligence |
| 2026 | Mind Check & MindCheck App | SpeakOut Mental Health Outreach | Pilot and launch of a free, confidential wellbeing platform |
| 2026 | Mental Health Road Walk | SpeakOut; College of Health Science & Technology | Community-wide awareness across Keffi with student volunteers |
| 2025 | Ogun Health Outreach | SpeakOut Mental Outreach | Health checks, education and wellbeing sessions |
2018
Established and registered
Corporate Affairs Commission
7
States and territories of operation
FCT, Nasarawa, Anambra, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Ogun
10+
Programmes and campaigns delivered
2019 to date, with partners
7
Named delivery partners
Schools, health bodies and foundations
Measurement
How we measure impact
Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning is being built into the Foundation as a system, not added as a report at the end of a grant.
Outputs and outcomes are not the same thing
An output is what we did: a fee paid, a grant disbursed, a roof repaired. An outcome is what changed: a child still in school at the end of the year, a business still trading twelve months later, a family still housed and secure.
We report our reach honestly and conservatively. The figures we publish are drawn from project records and are deliberately conservative where records are incomplete.
We are candid that, until recently, our reporting captured outputs, what we delivered, rather than outcomes, what changed as a result. That is a limitation, not an achievement, and it is the single thing we are working hardest to correct. From the 2026–27 academic year, figures we publish will be backed by project-level data with sources and dates. We would rather publish a smaller number we can defend than a larger one we cannot.
We would rather publish a smaller number we can defend than a larger one we cannot.Corporate Profile 2026, Section 16
What each programme must have before it launches
A programme without these five is not launched. Each is a gate, in order.
-
1
A written programme model
Detail
Purpose, target group, theory of change, standard package, unit cost, indicators and exit criteria, signed off by the Board.
-
2
A named owner
Detail
Accountable for the numbers being real and current, not for them being flattering.
-
3
A baseline
Detail
Without a baseline at enrolment, change cannot be claimed at all, the most frequent and most costly omission in first-time programming.
-
4
A small indicator set
Detail
Typically three to five, distinguishing outputs from outcomes.
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5
Defined exit criteria
Detail
So that completion is a status we record rather than a contact that lapses.
Illustrative indicators by pillar
| Pillar | Output: what we did | Outcome: what changed |
|---|---|---|
| Education & Skills | Children assessed, enrolled or re-enrolled; terms of support delivered | Retention to end of academic year; attendance above threshold; transition to the next grade; girls retained across the year |
| Livelihoods | Participants trained; grants disbursed; savings groups formed; mentoring sessions delivered | Enterprises still trading at 6 and 12 months; median income change against baseline; active savings balance; repeat buyers secured |
| Shelter, WASH & Protection | Shelters assessed and completed; kits distributed; occupancy documented | Shelters meeting standard on re-inspection; households reporting improved safety and privacy; occupancy retained at 12 months |
All indicators are disaggregated by sex, displacement status, disability and age group. Attendance and completion are verified by physical visit at least once per term. Administrative records alone are not sufficient evidence for a donor report, or for us.
Not only upward
Accountability to the people we serve
Measurement that reports only upward to funders is incomplete. We are establishing a beneficiary feedback and complaints mechanism so that the people in our programmes can tell us when something is wrong, in plain language, without fear and without going through the person whose conduct they may be questioning.
Findings are reported to the Board, and we intend to publish what we learn, including where a programme did not work.
Unit economics
Each flagship programme carries a documented cost per participant, built up from its standard package and its share of programme support costs.
We publish the cost per outcome as well as per participant, because that is the figure that prices what actually changed. Unit costs are re-priced at least twice a year and every figure is dated.
Recurring giving lets us commit to a child for a full academic year
One-off or monthly gifts, any amount, by card or bank transfer. Every gift is receipted with our name and registration number.