Addressing the educational needs of victims of conflict in Plateau IDP camps

By Martha Agas

Nigeria is ranked as the third highest African country with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of which 56 per cent of them are less than 18 years. In a recent report by the Displacement Matrix Index of International Organisation of Migrations , there are 73,891 IDPs in Plateau alone resulting mostly from communal crisis and herders/farmers clashes in some of its local government areas.

One of these local government is Bassa in northern Plateau which has being hit with more than 73 episodes from 2015 till date. The worse hit in the local government is Miango District of the Irigwe chiefdom, which according to records of the State Emergency Management Agency, more than 3,000 children have been reported displaced in three communities within few months of eruption of crises.

This has caused setbacks in access to education forcing the affected children to lag behind among their peers in academics. According to the Digest of Basic Education Statistics report, out of the 659,930 children of ages six to 11 enrolled in both public and private schools in Plateau, 335,865 have been estimated to be out of school.

The consequence of these is that towns like Miango and Mistali have continued to experience influx of many IDPs, seeking safety resulting from the aftermath of the conflicts.

For some members of these host communities, the situation has inspired them to think outside the box to seek ways of addressing the education gap of the children. This is through establishing schools to help them especially as there are few public schools to accommodate their population.

One of such schools is Calvary Arrow Nursery and Primary Academy in Miango town which was established in 2020 to help displaced and less privileged children. The school located at a temporary site at the premises of St John’s Catholic Church in Miango currently has pupils for nursery to primary four classes.

The school was founded with 23 children comprising of 10 displaced children and three indigents, and two years later it has a population of about 90 pupils of which 46 are displaced children and 10 indigents.

The founder, Mr Amos Emmanuel a graduate of Guidance and Counselling from Federal College of Education Pankshin said in addition to the security challenges, he was also inspired to establish the school by his final year research project on “ The impact of counselling services on traumatic experience of Fulani herdsmen Attack in Irigwe Chiefdom.“

“ The crisis started in 2016 when I resumed my programme but even before I finished school, I saw the challenge and need to help my community most especially displaced children, orphans and the less privileged. The school started in late 2020 when I finished my degree programme. We currently have displaced children from Jiri, Jebbu Miango, Zogu, Kwashe, Rewienku, Nche-shwerishi, Ri-Bakwa from Kwall district, La`ake -Ansa.

“This is to contribute our quota to the community to become a better place and also to give hope especially to these IDPs who lost their parents. We believe that through this school, we are contributing our quota to the community, “ he said.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PUPILS
The school targets displaced children and indigents. One of its major objectives is to give hope to the despondent mostly IDPs from communities in Miango district and other parts of Bassa LGA affected by insecurity. In line with that for each term, the founder said five scholarship forms are given to each village affected by conflicts in the district.

The school does not organise entrance examinations but children’s Intelligent Quotient (IQ) are assessed, through oral examination to enable their enrolment into appropriate classes.

The school has only three classrooms and does not have enough space to admit the numerous applications it receives, especially because it awards scholarships to displaced children and indigents.

“We mostly focus on the orphans first who are displaced children preferably resident within Miango, to ease the issue of long destination to the school. This is to ensure that they are not only enrolled, but there is also consistency in their attendance. This is because some of them coming from neighbouring villages usually have challenges of transportation to school“ he said.

HOW THE SCHOOL GETS FUNDING
The school is one of the cheapest in the area with a fee of N3700 and an automatic discount of N500 to those who are able to pay. This is in consideration of the low socio-economic status of the remote area, and IDPs who have resettled there. The school has seven staff, five of whom are on its payroll while the other two are volunteers.

“ The school is funded by few parents who pay school fees, the little they pay is what we use to pay those on our payroll and other few things that we need for the school,“ Emmanuel said.

However, in spite of its lean resources it currently has 52 beneficiaries on its scholarship scheme out of its 90 beneficiaries. In addition to this, the school management often provide uniforms and writing materials to all displaced children following difficulty of some beneficiaries to resume.

The founder said: “We have given 35 additional scholarships to other IDPs who did not resume to school due to challenges and have requested to resume next session which is September.

In 2021, the financial challenges of Emmanuel to help these children was given a leap by Cedar Tree Worship Centre Jos supported by AVC Nehemiah Germany, a religious charity organisation which offer humanitarian services to communities affected by conflict and natural disaster.

The church visited Miango after one of its crises and awarded scholarship to 10 displaced children who are also orphans from among the school’s 52 beneficiaries, for continuous education till high institution.

HOW THE SCHOOL HOPES TO SUSTAIN ITS VISION
The founder of the school says operating the school has its challenges especially in resources, which has limited their capacity to award scholarship to many displaced children. He said sustaining the scholarship scheme depend on the resources available to it through the fees it generates.

The founder says“ Among those paying school fees, the percentage of the consistent parents out of 100 is 90 per cent and out of the 90, 10 per cent may not finish paying for the term till the next term.

“ If we can get the financial support, we intend to sustain the scheme till the IDPs reach the high institution, knowing that they are able to be useful to themselves and the society they belong, but if our strength cannot take us, we can only reach the secondary school level and even pay their senior examinations, then perhaps get a skill for them.“

Emmanuel says the school needs space for expansion as it gets numerous applications for enrolment for their scholarship scheme and, it is struggling with finding solution to pupils of different grade sharing classroom as a result.

“We mix them together because we do not have enough space, like the play class and Nur. 1 are together, Nur. 2 and 3 are together and Pry 3 and 4 are together.

He says finances were required to register the school with the state government.

However, Emmanuel said he remained focused in spite of such challenges and is optimistic that with time and perseverance, the school will grow to become a secondary school.

Even though the school has inadequate amenities such as play materials and furniture, parents and guardians of the displaced children have described the school as a ray of hope to achieve the educational aspirations of their children, as it has enabled them to enroll their children to have a secured future especially as most of them have lost their source of livelihood, homes and spouses.

In all, stakeholders are of the strong belief that support from government, NGOs and individuals can go a long way to assist and encourage the likes of Emmanuel, to realise their dreams of addressing the education needs of displaced children as government alone cannot handle the situation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

***The story is made possible in collaboration with the Solution Journalism Network and the Nigeria Health Watch.
MAA/ISMA

Malaria control in Nigeria: Gains, Lessons from Kwara Initiative

By Usman Aliyu

Mrs Taiwo Sulaiman was six months pregnant when she experienced persistent fever and cold. To save her condition, she quickly rushed to the General Hospital, Ilorin, where she consulted a doctor and was subsequently treated.

“When the symptom was becoming unbearable for me, I had to go to the clinic. I was asked to run some tests, one of which was malaria test. This test was conducted, using a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit.

“For all these I paid, except for the malaria test which the laboratory attendant told me was free. In the end, the result showed I was positive. I took the result back to the doctor, and he prescribed ACT (Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy). The anti-malaria drug was, as well, dispensed free of charge. Here, I got the wind that malaria test and treatment at the hospital is free,” said Mrs Sulaiman.

It’s a similar experience at Ero-Omo Basic Health Centre, Ilorin South Local Government Area, where Mrs Aminat Ayinla was tested and treated for malaria. Ayinla, a primary school teacher visited the centre when she felt feverish and cold.

“I developed the symptoms overnight; then I visited the centre the following morning. Though, I had a premonition that it could be malaria, but I wanted to be sure.

“When I tested positive to malaria, the test and drug given to me were at no cost. When I asked, the head of the centre told me malaria test and treatment are free at the centre,” she said.

This is the situation in over 500 public health centres, where the Kwara state government is supporting healthcare facilities with RDT kits and ACT among others materials to test, treat and track malaria for free, under its malaria free initiative.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease, caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. In 2020, World Malaria Report estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide.

The figure was an increase from the 227 million in 2019, with most of this increase coming from countries in the African region. The estimated number of deaths from the cases for the year stood at 627,000, with Africa still carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. The region homed 95 per cent of malaria cases this year and 96 per cent of the resultant deaths.

Only four African countries accounted for more than half of all malaria deaths worldwide, with Nigeria having the chunk with 31.9 per cent. Similarly, children under five accounted for about 80 per cent of all the death cases in the region.

In Nigeria, the disease is transmitted all over; 76 per cent of the population live in high transmission areas in the country, while 24 per cent of the population live in low transmission areas. The transmission season according to the Severe Malaria Observatory (SMO) can last all year round in the South and it’s about three months or less in the Northern part of the country.

SMO notes that microscopy data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed that the average national prevalence of malaria in Nigeria was 27 per cent. The data also captured 27 as the prevalent rate in Kwara.

In line with the global efforts, the Federal Government introduced National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), with a broad mandate of formulating, facilitating policies and guidelines, coordinating the activities of partners and other stakeholders on malaria control activities in the country. The timeframe for this strategic plan was from 2014 – 2020.

The programme was meant to provide technical support to implementing bodies including states, local government areas and stakeholders, mobilization of resources, monitoring and evaluation of progress and outcomes in malaria control efforts.

Concurrently, this effort is replicated in most states of the country under the nomenclature of State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP). Alhaji Abdullahi Nageri, is the Programme Manager of SMEP in Kwara, and identified Malaria Free Kwara Initiative as a project that is helping to control, and free the citizens from the scourge.

Besides the free malaria treatment at public health centres, there is also Community Drug Distribution (CDD) with officials of the relevant ministry and department in the state and its local government councils going from house-to-house to give malaria drugs to children under the age of five at no cost.

Mrs Rukaya Lawal, a mother of three, who resides in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state collected the drug for her daughter when the health workers visited her community.

“They have been here on three different occasions to give my children drugs. I administered it on my first child, Khadijat on these occasions and since she took the medicine, she rarely falls ill from malaria,” said Mrs Lawal.

Beke Audu is another beneficiary, whose child had benefitted from the free drug. The mother of two testified to have collected and accordingly administered the free drugs on her children.

For Hajia Suliyat AbdulSalam, officer-in-charge, Ero-Omo Basic Health Centre, the initiative has led to a reduction in the record of the disease at the centre, with a claim that over 5000 households had benefitted from the free drugs.

“We have so far covered Ero-Omo, Kilanko, Olunlade, Agbabiaka, Alagbede, Ita-Alamu and other nearby axes. We try to sensitise the public not to underrate malaria, but to embrace the opportunity, which they are doing. They receive the drug without hesitation,” AbdulSalam said.

Interestingly, the latest report indicated that the fight against malaria in the state is yielding the desired result. The World Malaria Report 2021 recently released demonstrates that the prevalent rate in Kwara has dropped to 20 per cent from the 27, even below the now improved national average of 23 per cent.

This milestone feat, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of the state, attributed to the over N150 million the administration committed to the malaria elimination programme since 2019.

Corroborating the stance, Nageri, the SMEP manager admitted that timely release of counterparts, to complement the supports from the Global Fund, an international donor helping the state in the anti-malaria campaign, was a big great contributing factor.

“In 2019, when the governor came in, he released a counterpart fund of N83 million. This is exactly what the donor wants; states must have an input. The following year (2020), he also released N42 million; the third year (2021), about N32 million. So when you look at the money from the inception, it is about N160 million released by the state government.

“This means that the programme we are running, the state is spending money apart from the donor. This elevated us from the status of sub sub-reciepient to sub-recipient. When they say you are a sub-recipient, it means the state is ready to support the programme; we don’t rely on the donor’s money again.

“In malaria programming, we have partners; and in the last grant, Kwara was a sub sub-recipient, meaning we had a partner that was implementing for us. The partner we had was Management Science for Health.

“But due to the proactiveness of the government, the state was the first to be shortlisted from sub sub-recipient to sub-recipient. This means that the grants we receive from the Global Fund, Kwara now stands as an entity that can implement its programme directly without any partner,” he said.

Through this input of the government, Kwara SMEP added 180 healthcare facilities to the 339 being supported by the donor for free malaria tests and treatments, with 2.9 million pieces of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) distributed to the residents in 2020.

Nageri recounted as well that about N3.5 million was spent on jingles and media visits, to further enlighten the public on the malaria programme, and its procedures.

“Because of this, it makes a share that if one side is following the national guide on malaria; with the state supports, we are also able to carry out our own. Besides that, we trained health facilities across the state public service and the private in 2020 from this money.

“This means that malaria management and treatment in Kwara is more improved than those years. Capacity was built, and based on that, we are able to get the status of sub-recipient, because there is an assessor to come and assess every state,” said the programme officer for the malaria elimination project in the state.

Limitations

Dwindling allocation into the state from the federation account is one of the challenges, identified to be threatening the initiative, particularly inclusion of more facilities into the programme. For instance, in Awodi Basic Health Centre, one of the facilities visited, an official complained of shortfall in the supply of RDT kits.

Moreover, the SMEP officer bemoaned improper use of the mosquito nets that cost the state N13 million. As against sleeping under it, he regretted that many recipients exchanged the treated net with plastics; use it for fishing, as well as, to make a garden.

“That is the area we need to dwell much on, and that is why we need money. We need to dwell much on publicity and public enlightenment. We want to change the narration that if you have fever, it is not all malaria. If tested negative, some will not comply with the test, but insisting that they have malaria because they have fever.

“We are appealing to our people that if they are tested with our RDT kit and they are tested negative, then they should comply,” he said. For health centre, the matron at Ero-Omo said the facility is constrained by inadequate staff, thereby hampering its services.

This story has been made possible by Nigeria Health Watch with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.

Curbing the tide of open defecation in Nigeria; the Kwara example

By Usman Aliyu

Bisola Ibrahim was at the Ero Omo Motor Park in Ilorin on a morning to board a bus to Benin City. Suddenly she became pressed; she needed a place to empty her bowel.

“I never had the feeling before I left home. I am not the type that poo every day; and because I did yesterday, I never envisaged the situation. So it really caught me unprepared,” said Ibrahim.

Since she could not cheat the nature, the passenger enquired for where she could ease herself; and she was referred to an integrated public toilet that Kwara Government recently built in the park.

This, Mr Samuel Dajo, an official of the park in-charge of the public toilet, said was a change from the past experience when travellers would have to hide somewhere whether in uncompleted buildings or nearby bushes to discharge faeces, if pressed.

This practice was similar among residents in many parts of the state particularly in the unstructured areas, where people excreted openly at dumpsites, fields and in the canals among others.

Consequent to these repulsive habits, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) Report in 2019 rated Kwara the highest among states with the prevalent cases of open defecation in Nigeria.

The WASH NORM report is a summary of annual survey usually carried out by the National Bureau of Statistics under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with technical and financial support from the UNICEF, World Bank and African Development Bank.

According to this 2019 document, 64 per cent of residents in Kwara engaged in the practice of open defecation, followed by Plateau, 61; while Ebonyi and Kogi trailed, but tied at 58 per cent prevalence.

The findings noted, as well, that only 14 per cent of people in Kwara, Oyo and Ebonyi had access to basic sanitation services. All in all, the report showed that 44 million people openly defecated in Nigeria for the year, a figure that now soared to 48 million in the 2021 report, released recently.

Nigeria displaced India in the year to emerge the first on the rung of countries with the highest prevalent cases globally.

Open defecation has devastating consequences for public health. According to the UNICEF, faecal contamination of the environment and poor hygiene practices remain a leading cause of child mortality, morbidity, under-nutrition and stunting across the world. These, the international agency maintains, potentially have negative effects on cognitive development of children.

The UNICEF also claims that poor sanitation can be a barrier to education and economic opportunity, with women and girls often particularly vulnerable to the consequences of poor sanitation services.

To stem the tide of this unhygienic behaviour among the residents, the present administration in Kwara declared a State of Emergency on WASH in 2019. With the declaration, the government began to erect integrated public toilets in strategic places across the state in 2019. The facilities consist of 10-room, for excreta, which are partitioned for men and women; as well as sections for urination and bathing.

One of such facilities is located at the Ero Omo Motor Park, on the popular Ajase-Ipo road, Ilorin. Malam Shehu Onikijipa is a transporter at the park and uses the facility whenever he is desirous of passing excrement. Onikijipa explained that the convenience is suitably serving the people, known for openly defecating around in the past.

“I use it and it is well maintained. Anytime one of us (transport workers) is pressed, we rush there to ease ourselves. But more importantly, travellers who come here to board buses to various destinations use it often.

“Though we are charged N50 for excrement and N20 to urinate, it is these monies that are used for the daily upkeep of the facility. There are two women engaged for the cleansing of the place. The duo works on shift.

“There is a section for bathing too; that costs N50 as well. These charges are affordable, when viewed in relation to the need for the structure to be well kept at all time. So we pay without any problem,” he said.

Onikijipa also recounted that the solar powered boreholes at the toilet helped to resolve the problem of water supply at the park. One of the boreholes, he said served the toilet while the other supplies water to the people in the neighbourhood.

He, nonetheless, advocated expansion of the toilet, sequel to the rising number of travellers, and people coming to the restroom from outside. Moreover, the transport worker pleaded for ground-tiling of the park, as he noted that the place becomes deplorable during rainy season.

At Isale Aluko, the location of one of the public toilets at the hinterland, where residents use dumpsites and uncompleted buildings for excretion in the past, obviously the narrative was changed; with the facility now being the only place the people relieve themselves.

Kayode Jaji, a frequent user of the toilet said “the toilet is very useful. For instance, I do not live here; I only come every day to relate with friends. So anytime I am pressed, I use the restroom because it’s difficult for me to go home.

“Many shop owners and traders here do not have toilets as well; so they make use of the facility. In the past, we used uncompleted buildings around and dumpsite whenever we were pressed.”

Jaji also attested that the solar powered borehole integrated in the project is helping to address the water need of the households in the area. As against the practice in other facilities however, he noted that users of the Isale Aluko toilet do not pay to use the convenience room.

“We do not pay to use the toilet; nobody pays. For example, I am a graduate with no job. So we use it for free. Besides, the person taking care of the toilet is a brother. So we relate based on that,” said Jaji.

The situation is similar at Sabojo area of Ilorin, where travellers at Sawmill Motor Park, traders, passersby and students of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin visit another public toilet, situated at the area, anytime they are pressed to answer the call of nature. Hitherto, people in the axis went to the bank of Okun River to defecate.

“Many users of this toilet are travellers, who are pressed, and need a place to ease themselves urgently. So, commercial motorcycles bring them here in number to use the restroom,” said Alhaji Issa Agaka, a motor dealer, who oversees the maintenance of the toilet.

In addition to this, Mrs Toyosi Adebayo-Thomas, Senior Special Assistant on Inter-Governmental Affairs to Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, who coordinates Open Defecation Free (ODF) programme in the state, said the government also incorporated construction of toilets into the renovation of public primary and secondary schools.

This according to Adebayo-Thomas correspondingly goes on with engagements, leading various communities across the state to build toilets and aware of the negative effect of open defecation. The state also carried out repair of waterworks and building of boreholes to provide water for the citizens.

The state ODF coordinator further claimed that 1,600 youth volunteers are engaged by the state, for Hand-Washing and Clean Nigeria Campaign, with the prompt payment of counterpart fund for Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (PEWASH). All these, she said were targeted at ensuring open defecation free Kwara by 2025.

Three years into these efforts, the WASH NORM Report for 2021 shows Kwara has dropped on the ladder of open defecation by states to fifth, behind Ebonyi, Plateau, Kogi and Oyo. Access to basic sanitation service in the state also improves from 14 per cent to 31. This latest report was released in June.

Even though the number of people practising open defecation in Nigeria shot up to 48 million in the new study, the prevalent rate in Kwara stepped down to 50 per cent from the 64 recorded in 2019.

Yet, It’s not Perfect

Because users of the facility at Isale Aluko refuse to pay for the utility, Jimoh Mustapha, who takes up its upkeep, is accordingly constrained by the burden of cost of maintenance, which exclusively, falls on his shoulder.

“Nobody is paying. Though, government instructed we charge a token for the services, users seldom pay because we are all brothers in this community. So I do the work voluntarily, and even use my money to buy soaps and disinfectants to wash the facility,” Mustapha said.

Besides, he noted, as well, that the soakaway dug for the toilet was small; hence, it easily filled up, brewing offensive odour into the atmosphere.

“One of the challenges is that the soakaway is too small, and fills up easily. As a result, it emits odour disgustingly, making the residents of the area uncomfortable.

“We have been constrained on many occasions to discharge the soakaway into a water channel whenever it rains. Government should come to our aid by either digging a bigger soakaway or lay pipes into a water channel for proper discharges,” he said.

The size of the soakaway in all the facilities was the same, until the managers of the Ero Omo and Sabojo toilets; Mr Dajo and Alhaji Agaka respectively dug larger cesspits from the charges, to continue to serve.

Beyond this, Agaka also bemoaned incessant burglary attacks on the solar installations at the Sabojo facility.

To address this problems, an official of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) in Near a, Mr Rufai Olalekan, said measures a being put in place to check them.

“The OFF team will swing into action and assess the situation with a view to getting the Governor approval for rectifying the challenges. This is a laudable programmes that is beneficial to our people and everything will be done to sustain it,” he said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

This story has been made possible through collaboration with the Nigeria Health Watch with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization.

Group urges sustaible agricultural development in Kwara

By Mujidat Oyewole

Development

Ilorin, July 22, 2022 (NAN) The Agro-Climatic Resilience Semi-Arid Landscapes team (ACReSAL) in Kwara has called for the enhancement and sustainability of agricultural and reafforestation activities in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Mrs Okanlawon Taiwo, the Communications Officer of ACReSAL, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ilorin.

Taiwo said that the call was necessary in order to promote the eco growth and development for sustainable value and socio-economic potentialities in the communities.

She said that the state Project Coordinator, Mr Zubair Oloruntoyin, in company of the Kwara Senior Special Adviser on Water Resources, Mr Shehu Usman, said this in Lafiagi during an assessment tour.

“Oloruntoyin stressed that with the awareness of the negative effects of desert encroachment, global warming and deliberate deforestation causing havoc on the community, ACReSAL Project leveraged on its multi sectorial outlook.

“This is by harmonising the concepts of environment, water and agricultural remedies to mitigation of land depredations to proffer sustainability and effectiveness to applied interventions.

“Engr. Tunde talked on the extent of the Egua water flow in the area, that the project tagged with water sheds will prompt the need to identify the watersheds,” she said.

She added that it also involved the devastating effects on the community and considered possible solutions to mitigating same, coupled with appropriate investments on the recovered areas.

“The engineer emphasised that it will enhance land reclamation, investment on the redeemed land, thereby improve the living standards of the people through creation of job opportunities, food security and other social amenities.

“He explained that the extent of the proposed irrigation scheme will be dependent on the needs assessments, based on its intended purposes which could be for agriculture, domestic and industrial uses.”

Oloruntoyin affirmed that Lafiagi community is blessed with enough farm land, water and land resources which could generate more economic values for the state.

He lauded Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration for keying into the multi-sectorial project for the benefit of state, making Lafiagi community one of the beneficiaries of the project.

Taiwo also said that the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Kawu, appreciated the team for the assessment visit and emphasised the need for farm irrigation, securing the river banks, as well as harnessing their water for irrigation purposes.

He said that planting of economical trees as well as other major issues beg for adequate attention in the community.

The Emir said that the community has so much passion for economic development, so it focus more on planting of economical trees, other resourceful plants and making sure that the environmental proceedings are observed.

He appreciated the state government and the agency for coming to their aid, for prompt intervention in addressing the environmental challenges in community. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

MOB/AYO/MST

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Nasarawa community builds school, hospital through self-help

Projects

By Awayi Kuje

Wakama (Nasarawa State) July 6, 2022  (NAN) Ezhiba community in Nasarawa State has completed water, electricity, hospital and school projects it initiated to improve the living standard of people in the area.

The initiative has impressed the District Head of Wakama, Chief Adams Makka-Nangba, who visited Ezhiba on Wednesday.

He said that the initiative was apt, as it was meant to solve problems in the community for the betterment of all.

“I am impressed with the efforts of the community. You brought electricity from OLA, Akpata, the Headquarters of Akun Development Area to this place.

“The community built primary school which was approved by the government and you have also built primary healthcare centre, among others.

“Your sons, the Councillor of Wakama ward, Mr Thomas Anyu-Bako and Chief Awayi Kuje of News Agency of Nigeria rehabilitated two boreholes for the community.

“The community has done well in self help projects execution,” he said.

The district head appealed to the state government to provide road to the community through the Akwanga Bye-pass.

“This is to boost transportation, agriculture, socio-economic activities and improve the standard of living of the people of the community.

“I am also calling on the state government to build standard classrooms in the school and upgrade infrastructure in the community.

“Modern equipment in the clinic, transformer and concrete poles among others are needed to better the standard of living of people of the community,” Makka-Nangba said.

The district head told all members of the community not to relent in contributing positively to the growth of the area.

He urged other communities in the district to emulate the initiative of Ezhiba community, to provide solutions to their pressing challenges.

In their separate remarks, the village head, Chief Paul Angbre and Mr Sule Alaku, Ezhiba chapter Chairman of Eggon Cultural and Development Association, pledged to sustain the initiative.

They, however, appealed to the state and local government to provide more infrastructure in the community to improve their living standard. ( NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

AKW/MZA/IA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed/Idris Abdulrahman

awayikuje@gmail.com

New Lady captain pledges sponsorship for lady golfers to tournaments

Golf

Olukayode Babalola

Lafia, Oct. 17, 2021. (NAN) Newly elected Lady Captain of Lafia Golf Club, Marylinda Ogbole, has pledged sponsorship of lady golfers going out for tournaments, to enable them project the name of the club and put the state in the limelight.

Ogbole stated this in her speech shortly after being inaugurated as part of the club’s new executive in Lafia, on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogbole took over from outgoing Lady Captain, Asibi Ogabo, who only recently organized the club’s first Ladies’ Open Tournament.

According to Ogbole, the club’s Ladies section, under her leadership, would work hard to bring onboard ladies who were yet to understand the golfing activities in the state.

“Most a time when you go to them, they will tell you it’s capital intensive, but that’s not it. As you come to play, we have golfers who are ready to assist. If it’s the kits that we use in playing, you will get somebody who is ready to give you to start playing.

“If it comes to getting your own, you will have somebody who will assist you as well in getting your own kits. Golfing is a family affair because all of us are just like one big family.

“I intend to project the ladies’ Lafia golf course globally and build on the success of the First ladies tournament that was given wide publicity.

”We will also sponsor our ladies to go out for tournaments, so that they can project the name of Lafia Golf club,” she said.

In his acceptance speech, the new Captain of the Lafia Golf Club, Augustine Okyuwa, said they will work according to the rules of the game and called on members to support them in the discharge of their duties.

“I have spoken to a lot of people in the state and I have told them the importance of exercise. Golf is a very important game. So, people are very much aware of that and are ready to come in and exercise and contribute in their own way to the development of the club.

Also speaking, the immediate past Captain of the club, Paul Kouame, urged the Nasarawa state government to support the Lafia Golf Club in order to encourage the development of the game in the state.

Kouame, who stated this at the handing-over ceremony to the new club officials, said the state stands to benefit greatly from sporting activities, hence the need for the government to tap into the enormous opportunities that golf presents and support the club, especially during tournaments.

“The challenge here has been that the Lafia Golf club was not receiving support from the government. But, thank God, there had been a wonderful action lately, at the ladies’ open tournament,” he said.

NAN reports that the new elected officials included, Austine Okyuwa as Captain, Changkat Luck, Vice-Captain, Solomon Nwokoro, Secretary, Godwin Ogwuche, Finance Secretary and Marylinda Ogbole as Lady Captain and Treasurer.

Others are Peter Danfuru, as Social Secretary, Andrew Yakubu as Bar Secretary and Edwin Philip as Public Relations Officer. (NAN) (nannews.ng)
OB/MMA

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Edited by Mouktar Adamu

Switching to Good Health: Nigeria’s Mama Put turn to LPGas use

By the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

A 2018 report by the World Health Organisation indicates that about four million people die every year from diseases related to the use of inefficient cooking practices and a lot of children less than five years old die from pneumonia caused by smoke inhaled from air pollution in the house.

One of the major sources of household air pollution, especially in developing countries, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, is fuel used for cooking as well as heating practices.

Homes from developed countries and many houses in the developing world use electricity, natural gas, or clean Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking, whereas houses in rural communities and some houses of the developing world use biomass fuel for cooking.

In many urban and rural communities in Nigeria, the sources of cooking are still like that obtained in most developing countries.

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Gas To Health Initiative (GTHI) has taken up the gauntlet of matching words with action in ensuring the wide use of LPG by Nigerians.

Its primary targets are those that produce food for most people in the urban and rural areas: food vendors who sell food to low and medium income earners living and working in these areas.

GTHI started its campaign with over 600 local food vendors (Mama Put, Akara/yam fryers, Garri fryers and Mai Suyas) in Abuja, Bauchi, Sokoto, Enugu, Awka and taught them the benefits and safe use of LPG and empowered them with cylinders and industrial single/double burners and all associated gadgets.

“Our main objective is to improve people’s health by substituting other fuels for Liquefied Petroleum Gas, particularly firewood and kerosene and also to ensure that LPG becomes affordable and competitive as well as safe for consumers and workers,” Engr. Betty Ugona told NAN.

Ugona, who is the Secretary, GTHI Board of Trustees, said that the organisation took up the onerous campaign called “Operation Mama Put/Local Food Vendors Conversion to LP Gas” to change the narrative among these class of Nigerians.

Woman cooking with LPGas

In Abuja, at least more than 200 people, just as in the other states it visited, benefitted from the GTHI programme and were asking for more of the gestures to be extended to other Nigerians.

Mrs Victoria James, who sells food at Dutse Market in the Federal Capital Territory, told NAN that the distribution of more gas to vendors would encourage women to venture into the lucrative food selling business.

“My neighbour, Rejoice, says she won’t wake up very early in the morning again to start cooking like before since she started using the LP Gas to do her cooking.

“She told me that getting more time to sleep from the previous day work has boost her health and given her time to attend to some other family issues,” she said.

Malam Adamu Talle, a tea seller at Wuse Market, also said that seeing the health benefit of the use of LP Gas on their colleagues has made them yearn for such.

“Our chairman was among those given the gas cylinders. In terms of customers, he now serves more people because the time he takes to prepare tea and make noodles has reduced drastically.

“More customers even prefer to go to his stall because there is no smoke like mine,” he said.

Mrs Christians Dim, Chairperson of the FCT Market Women Food Vendors Association, told NAN that her members had benefitted immensely from the GTHI project.

“We thought it was one of those campaign things that politicians use to get our support. Until we saw that these people are serious and ready to give us freedom.

“Most women have seen the advantage of gas use in cooking and seen how it has improved the health and business of beneficiaries,” she said.

Mrs Rejoice Damian, who sells food at Wuse Market, told NAN that the health benefit of cooking with gas far outweighs firewood use or any other sources for now.

“I used to have poor eyesight before. But after using gas in the past six months, it has improved and I no longer use eyeglasses. Again, my skin has lightened up and is glowing not like when I was using firewood.

“It’s just that we need the government to step in and make the gas accessible and affordable so that we will continue to use it without too much stress. Buying firewood cost more because I use about N1,000 daily for firewood while for gas I pay about N6,500 per month,” she said.

The difficulties girls go through to get sanitary pads can only be imagined, especially so in rural communities or slums.

One of such areas where this challenge manifests is Rigasa; is a densely populated urban slum in the south west of Igabi Local Government Area in Kaduna State.

Mr Yusha’u Abubakar, Founder and Executive Director, Enhancing Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative (E-CAPH), said the issue of sanitary pads was a challenge in the community because of poverty and lack of economic empowerment.

“When the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) called for an application for a project to support adolescent girls and boys, we decided to apply with focus on this area because it is a challenge.

“We sent our proposal and UNFPA found it worthy and supported us to train young girls in our community.”

He said 200 girls were trained on making reusable sanitary pads, adding that the initiative has improved school attendance of girls in the community as well as taken care of their menstruation hygiene challenges.

Impact of the training on the girls

Fatima Abdullahi, 18, is one those trained by E- CAPH and described the experience as overwhelming because she now produces it for her personal use and for trade.

“I was used to begging for money to buy pads or forced to use other materials in spite of its discomfort for my period. Now I help myself and others with my trade,” she said.

Similarly, Asma’u Mohammed, 18, said she was happy for the acquired skill that has made her self-reliant.

“With this, I don’t have to ask my parents for everything I need, because I can now earn little money by making sanitary pads for my peers.”

Sanitary pad boosting economic empowerment of the community

Albabatu Musa, Manager and Coordinator, E-CAPH Skills Acquisition Centre, said the accessibility of the reusable pad has made it a preferred choice for most girls in the Rigasa community.

“The reusable pad is made up of cotton-based materials because of its absorbable nature and easy access in the market.

“So far, 15,000 packs of three pieces each, have been produced at the centre and sold for N3.5 million to a client in Borno State.

“At the open market, a pack is sold for N500 and for every pack, there is a gain (profit) of N150. The product is in high demand,” she said.

Musa said the pad was highly profitable and cost effective because it can be used for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months.

“A pack of three go for N500 with a profit margin of N150. The trained adolescents were currently making the reusable pad for their personal use and sales.”

Support by the UNFPA in the Rigasa pad project

Ms Mariana Darboe, the Programme Coordinator and Head of Office, UNFPA Decentralised Office for Northern Nigeria, said the reusable sanitary pad project was part of the livelihood support training as a COVID-19 response to alleviate poverty in communities.

She said the project was supported by the funds Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) project under the UN Basket Fund support for COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

Darboe added that the RCCE initiative was to curb the risk and impact of gender-based violence and interconnecting sexual and reproductive health consequences.

A mother’s burden lifted

A mother of four, Sadiya Ibrahim, said the reusable sanitary pad had reduced her stress “because most times during their menstrual period I am helpless to help my four girls with the needed money to buy sanitary pads.

“Sometimes they feel uncomfortable saying that they are on their period, so they just use available pieces of clothes to help themselves.

“Whenever they use clothes, they spend most of their time in the room because it makes them uncomfortable.”

How we got the buy-in of the communities considering the religious and cultural challenges

In most communities in northern Nigeria, talking about reproductive health issues among women and young girls is considered a no-go area. E-CAPH executive director Abubakar said the initiative surmounted this major limitation and got the buy-in of the community through advocacy.

“We were able to make people understand what sexual and reproductive health issues are all about and the need for parents to talk to their children about sexual reproductive health issues.

“The religious and community leaders provided the platform for us to talk to young girls in Islamiyah schools, women groups gathered their children and invited us to talk to them.

“This strategy helped in increasing the acceptance of talking about the issues in communities where it is hitherto difficult to do so.”

How the girls monthly dilemma turns to joy

Some users of the sanitary pads narrated their experiences on how it changed their monthly dilemma to joy.

Kadijah Salis, 17: “I use pieces of clothes due to lack of money to buy a pad. Sometimes I am forced to stay at home to avoid embarrassment in school because most times the clothes leak and stain our uniforms.

“The reusable pad is the best thing that has happened to some of us from poor households.

Sadiya Aliyu, 18, said she only got to hear of the reusable pad recently, adding that it is “better because I can use it for six months and it is very comfortable. I only need two for a whole year”.

The way forward for menstruation hygiene in Rigasa

The Founder and Executive Director of E-CAPH said that the initiative was able to overcome the challenges of non-acceptance by the community that was religiously inclined not to discuss matter relating to women and especially women monthly menstrual cycle.

This, he said, was due to the various trainings personnel of his organisation went through.

From these training “we were able to understand the role of religious leaders, community leaders, women and youth groups in advocating for reproductive health and family planning.

“There was equally a book produced by NUHRI on religious (Islamic and Christian) perspectives to family planning.

“We used the book in partnership with religious leaders and women groups to advocate for the acceptance of the family planning and reproductive health issues in communities.

“We were able to help them understand more about sexual and reproductive health issues. This led to the acceptance by parents to talk to their children and wards about sexual reproductive health issues.

Abubakar said that with the achievement so far recorded in helping the girls to better manage their menstrual hygiene, development partners, state government and local government areas should support the initiative to increase access by the poor and vulnerable adolescent girls in urban and rural areas. (NAN)