When Lions Club reaches out to kids, pregnant women

By Bose Adebayo

FOR the about two decades the School Village, Ikeja had been in existence ,  it had no reliable source of water supply. Both teachers and students usually trekked a distance of about 100 metres to fetch water.

Respite, however, came their way recently when the International Association of Lions Clubs, District 404B, Region 3 donated a   5,000 litres water capacity borehole and a brand new generating set to the school.

Also, Gabasawa Children Initiative, Ogudu, a centre for children from low income background also received a donation of writing materials and school uniforms from the Club. Apart from this, some of these children have been adopted by some members of the Club with a promise to give them quality education.

The less-privileged children before the presentation

In Agege Local Government Maternity Centre, no fewer than 200 pregnant women smiled home with some insecticide-treated nets and antenatal materials among other items after receiving series of lectures on the roll back malaria campaign.

These series of activities took place when the District Governor Chris Aderemi and his wife paid a courtesy visit to the region.

Gabasawa Children were hosted at the Tetrazzini Foods, Ogudu where the initiator Mrs. Doris Yaro informed that the initiative took off in an uncompleted building with about 25 children. “It started 11 years ago when I was a young bride from Nasarawa State.

Most of the parents are maiguards who could not send their children to school. Some of these children eat from the dustbin, sleep in uncompleted buildings and end up as nuisances on our streets. I had to identify with their mothers and by doing so, no fewer than 150 families have been reached. I also educate these women on birth control because  many of them give birth to about 10 children without sending any to school,” she informed

The roll back malaria awareness campaign at Agege Local Government Maternity Centre featured some health experts such as the clinic nutritionist, Mrs Yvonne Bulley who advised pregnant mothers to eat more of wheat, bread, roughage, fruits and locust beans, while they should stay away from processed seasoning, shrimps, crabs and sugar, among others.

“’Maggi’(processed seasoning) is only 22 years old and has done some damages to our health. Pregnant women must eat well and reduce intake of sugar, beef, animal milk and flour because most of them pave way for cancer. The foil used in wrapping ‘maggi’  is prone to germs. Shrimps and crabs are scavengers that rub away the cartilage. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes inability to have full term pregnancy,” she lectured.

A borehole donated to the School Village

At the commissioning of the borehole donated to The School Village, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Executive Chairman, Mrs Gbolahan Kadijat said the borehole would assist in alleviating the suffering of water shortage in the village.

Some pregnant women at Agege Local government expressed happiness at the occasion. “We have learnt a lot, before this time we never knew ‘maggi’ and shrimps are dangerous to health but this programme has really opened our eyes,’‘ chorused Mrs Afusat Taiwo (27), Christiana Babajimi (30) and Jessie Ambrose (30).

Responding, Lion Aderemi said the inspection was necessary to assess performance in each region, adding that she was impressed with what she saw.