Mirian Pat Foundation THE “ZERO MALARIA STARTS WITH ME” CAMPAIGN TO YANGOJI COMMUNITY
Yangoji, one of the Peri-Urban areas outside the City of Abuja is a Leprosy Colony, filled with aged people affected by leprosy. Although cured of their ailment, surviving amidst a growing young population facing poverty, disease, lack of education and employment remains a dilemma, living 72km away from the bustling capital city of Nigeria, Abuja on the Abuja-Lokoja expressway in Kwali area council of the Federal Capital City (FCT) in an appalling state.
For several years now, no drugs have been supplied to their clinic, women still give birth at home, MALARIA INFECTION has continued to weigh down the people for over a decade, no access to clean water, many aged people are sick and can’t find healthcare and a large number of jobless youths are among the many predicaments facing FCT’s Leprosy Colony in Yangoji, also known as Alheri settlement.
The Leprosy Colony in Yangoji, is a community of over 600 persons, created by the FCT authorities to mop up all persons affected by Leprosy to settlements outside the capital city where they can be decently accommodated along with basic facilities to cater for their needs. This populated settlement is characterized by low-key buildings and is predominantly inhabited by people who are said mostly to have been cured of leprosy except for few, typically living poor, exposed and vulnerable lifestyles. Due to lack of efficient medical facilities, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) issues are predominant in Yangoji Community, where about six boreholes in the community are out of service, leaving the people to look for water from unsafe sources. All the water sources provided by government have not been functional for several years now except for one donated by a non-governmental organisation. This has therefore resulted in high medical cases like typhoid, malaria, diarrhea and other related sicknesses.
Marian Foundation in its humanitarian efforts in collaboration with the Department of FCT Social Welfare has decided to take urgent action in addressing and mitigating malaria outbreak in this burdened Community by organising and embarking on the implementation of activities in commemoration of WORLD MALARIA DAY in Yangoji Community that will focus on reducing malaria mortality through the distribution of nets, sharing of best practices, testing and treatment of malaria and in educating the physically challenged and vulnerable women and children within the Community on the importance of using nets and other measures for the prevention of Malaria while raising awareness around malaria issues as well as to mark the continuing great achievements in the fight against malaria in Nigeria.
Other activities that have been carefully planned on that day include but not limited to:
1. Distribution of 500 Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs)
2. Medical Awareness working with local health workers, including doctors and lab technicians to facilitate workshop for facility staff on need for laboratory confirmation of malaria and requirements for quality data collection.
3. Midwives or trained nurses to facilitate seminar for women 18 – 50 years on need for Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Pregnant Women (IPTp) during regular Antenatal Care (ANC).
4. Free rapid diagnostic testing for all willing participants and treatment of identified malaria cases.
5. Distribution of Clothing and Welfare materials.
With all the adult population in the community having had one sort of leprosy or the other, many of them are unable to undertake any defined job for a living due the severity of their fingers and nails. As a result, most of the people are engaged in farming to eke out a living.
The implication for the community is the high rate of poverty and helplessness that is daily turning to frustration among the people. The feeling of being discriminated against, as people affected by Leprosy, separated from the general population and denied basic amenities, has compounded the woes of the community.
Mirian Pat Foundation will also focus on empowering members of this community by providing institutionalized local and context-specific employability life skills and empowerment trainings to enable members of this community become economically self-reliant through income generation as small-scale entrepreneurs to further support subsistent earning with the hope of improving their standard of living.
The Community Outreach Advocacy program to Yangoji Community is expected to also encourage responsible authorities and society to help solve problems and emerging issues relating to persons with disabilities as well as vulnerable women and girls.
You can donate today to continue to support Mirian’s Foundation quest in redefining lives to exhibit excellence. Simply send in your contribution to:
Account Name: Mirian Charity Foundation – Account Number: 0425939759
Bank Name: GTBank. You can find out more about Mirian Pat Foundation on our website: www.mirianpatfoundation.org
Call us today on: 08059798156, 09029338162
