By Uji Abdullahi Iliyasu
Abuja
A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Ihenyen Ehinome Joy (AD/20B/1932), serving in Adamawa state, converted an abandoned building to a clinic in Kpogno community, a remote village in Girei LGA of Adamawa state.
The idea of the clinic came up when the corps member was participating as an enumeration officer in the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) which entailed corps members touring remote villages of the state to enumerate and register primary school pupils for the school feeding programme.
While registering the pupils in Kpogno, Joy observed that several people, particularly the children and the elderly, were not looking healthy enough. After some enquiries, she realised that the rural dwellers had to travel 14 kilometres away to access the nearest clinic at another village called Borong.
She became disturbed and took it upon herself to change the ugly situation. Using her orientation on NYSC’s Community Development Service (CDS) programme, she strategised, secured the necessary support and approval of the NYSC scheme, mobilised the relevant stakeholders, particularly the Adamawa state Primary Healthcare Development Agency and most importantly collaborated with the people of the community.
Seeing and trusted her as a messiah, the community happily and willingly donated a four bedroom dilapidated building for the project in addition to other contributions towards its success.
And finally it is mission accomplished for Joy.
Now the people of Kpogno community no longer have to travel 14 km to access simple medical care.
Joy, an indigene from far away Ekpoma LGA of Edo state, has come to their rescue through NYSC scheme.
To ensure continued sustenance, management and viability of the healthcare centre, corps Joy partnered with the State Primary Healthcare through the Girei LGA PHC, which is to continue providing drugs, services as well as other medical consumables and non-consumables.