From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Rotary Club of Oxbow Lake over the weekend presented Maternity (Birthing) kits to 30 pregnant women and nursing mothers at the Agudama-Epie Community Primary Healthcare Center (PHC), Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital.
Before donating the materials, the Humanitarian Club, in collaboration with its service partners, the Rotaract Club of Oxbow Lake, the Rotaract Club of BYCOTECH, and the Rotaract Club of the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), provided Health Talks to the women at the Health Center during their antenatal period.
According to the lead facilitator of the exercise, Rotarian Douye Lorretta Indiamaowei, the Club’s Director, Polioplus, who is a Medical doctor, the donation is the Club’s project to mark the Rotary International Maternal and Child Health Month, which runs through the entire month of July every Rotary year,
The club’s immediate past President, Dr Hilda Afakwu-Adimoha, stated that the project was designed to help pregnant women and nursing mothers cope with the pressures of the country’s current economic situation, in keeping with Rotary’s theme for 2023-2024, “Create Hope in the World.”
The recipients and the staff of the Agudama-Epie Primary Healthcare Center thanked the Rotarians for choosing them for this year’s edition of their effort to prevent Maternal and Infant Mortality.
Speaking on the project, the Appreciator President of the Club, Rtn Fortune Alfred, explained that this is just one of the club’s areas of focus, as they are committed to executing projects in all seven Rotary areas of focus.
“The Club, in addition to protecting Mothers and children, engages in actions aimed at Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Supporting Education, Growing Our Local Economy, Protecting Our Environment, and Emergency Response. During our upcoming Installation event on August 12, 2023, to formally install the Club’s Board of Directors for the 2023/2024 Rotary year with the theme “Create Hope in the World.” We intend to use that event to raise funds for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Screening, Mental Health Awareness, the continuation of the construction of our Botanical Garden at Niger Delta University, the establishment of a Food Bank for Post-Flood Relief, the support of small businesses in our community, targeted educational support for students, the production and distribution of reusable sanitary pads, and the planting of economic trees for environmental protection, among other things.”
“Through the support of our partners, we have previously provided portable water to 1,200 households in the five communities of Bisangbene, Amatu I, Amatu II, Bilabiri I, and Bilabiri II, all in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.”
We also rehabilitated the toilets at St Luke’s Primary School in Nembe and installed a borehole and a power generator, as well as provided portable water in Asamabiri Town in Sagbama LGA. In the 2022/2023 service year, we also have water projects at Ayama ijaw and Otuasega in Southern Ijaw and Ogbia LGAs, respectively.