Enugu First Lady’s NGO Takes Sensitization Campaign On Maternal Health To Rural Women

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A non governmental Organization, Custos Care Foundation, has taken a one day Sensitization campaign on Maternal and Child Health Care, Water Sanitation and hygiene (WASH), best practices to Women of Ugwuaji rural Community, in Enugu South local government area of Enugu State.

The programme according to the organizers, is part of the NGO’s commitment in promoting a healthy living among Women and children in the state, especially at the localities.

Speaking during the one day programme, held at Ndiaga town hall Ugwuaji, Managing Director (MD) of Custos Care Foundation, Mrs. Blessing Egodi Igwe, stated that the charitable organization which is a pet project of Wife of Enugu State governor, Mrs. Nkechi Mbah, was established to provide social services to the poor, needy, and the socially excluded peiple in the society.

“We work in five major intrvention areas, which includes, Mother and Child Healthcare, and welfare, Basic Education for all, Women and youth Empowerment, Social protection and mentorship.

According to her, the organization which operates in collaboration with office of first lady of the state, promotes women and children’s health, through parental/postnatal care. Nutrition, immunization eduction, illness management and insurance access.

“So, today, we are at Ugwuaji Community in Enugu South local government area of Enugu State to sensitaze the rural populace, particularly women on health and hygiene issues.

” We invited people from WASH sector, and the Enugu State Agency for universal health coverage, with a view to sensitizing and enlightening the women on how to live a healthy life, and also how to embrace the state health insurance scheme.

She added that “we are here akso to educate the Ugwuaji rural women residence on the need to maintain good health through good hygiene practices in the environment”.

Igwe, who disclosed that the organization had recently visited some Counci areas of the state for same programme, urged the citizens to embrace the state health insurance scheme for their own good, appealing to wealthy individuals, corporate organizations and groups to assist less privileged ones in their domains to enrol into the scheme which is one thousand naira per month, and 12, 000 yearly as premium.

Our Correspondent writes that a member of the State House of Assembly, representing Enugu South (Rural) constituency, and Chairman, House Committee on Water Resource, Hon. Princess Obiajulu Ugwu, who attended the programme, paid insurance premium for five nursing mothers and five aged women for one year, thanked the NGO for it’s intervention in her constituency.

The female lawmaker, who is also the Deputy chief Whip in the state Assembly, promised to use her office to partner the NGO in ensuring that the hygiene massage delivered to the women yields the desired result.

A public health educator and Senior Special Adviser SSA to wife of Enugu State governor, Mrs. Uzoamaka Uzoechina, while addressing the women, in local language, harped on the need for them to always keep their sorroundings neat at all times.

She enlightend them on the dangers inherent in living in a dirty enviroment, including indulging in indiscriminate defecation, stressing that many diseases are contracted via unhealthy living.

Uzoechina however, challenged the women to join hands with the community leaders in saying no to open defecation in the community and environ.

Speaking with Our Correspondent a nursing mother and beneficiary of the lawmaker’s insurance premium payment, Mrs. Chioma Edeh, expressed appreciation to the governor’s wife and legislator, for their kind gesture, urging them to keep up with the humanitarian support to the less privileged in the society.