Yenagoa—The Rotary Club of Oxbow Lake Thursday presented maternity (birthing) kits to 30 pregnant women and nursing mothers at the Agudama-Epie Community Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital.
The club in partnership 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 education and tips to the pregnant 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 also a medical doctor, the effort is the Club’s project to mark the Rotary International Maternal and Child Health Month, which runs through July in every Rotary year.
Speaking during the visit, the club’s immediate past President, Dr. Hilda Afakwu-Adimoha, said the project was designed to help pregnant women and nursing mothers cope with the pressures of the country’s current economic situation.
This, according to her, is in line with Rotary’s theme for 2023-2024, “Create Hope in the World.”
On his part, the President of the Club, Fortune Alfred, who was unable to attend due to official business, revealed to mangrovepen.ng that the gesture is just one of the club’s areas of focus, as they are committed to executing projects in all seven Rotary areas of focus.
He said, “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.”
Among the speakers and guests at the well-attended event were, Engr Ebitimi Maxwell, a past President of the club, celebrated author, Dr. Ebidenyefa Tarila Nikade, Ebisco Warikoru, Doubara Inoru and Ibrahim Omo Otokiti.
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.
