By Silas Shentukwak Boi
About 80 women and children in hard-to-reach communities of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State have benefited from a medical outreach organized by the Development Exchange Center (DEC).
The outreach, which targeted the communities of Wuro Shall and Yangam, provided medical support to women and children under the age of five.
DEC micro credit manager, Mrs. Emily Stephen, explained that the initiative was part of DEC’s humanitarian services, aimed at complementing its microcredit programs for women by ensuring their health and wellbeing.
She added that DEC is a non-governmental organization providing microcredits to over 120,000 women across 24 states of Nigeria, helping them to become self-reliant.
Mrs Emily said Beyond microcredit, the organization has expanded it programs into health, water, sanitation, and hygiene services, particularly for vulnerable women in hard-to-reach areas.
She explained that the medical team consisting of a doctor, laboratory technician, and nurses offered consultations, conducted tests, and distributed drugs free of charge.
The Head of Wuro Shall community, Malam Yunusa Shehu, commended DEC for its intervention, noting that residents usually travel six to seven kilometers to access healthcare as they don’t have a healthy care facility.
Another community member and mobilizer, Ali Ahmadu, also lauded the intervention, describing it as timely and life-saving.
Some of the women beneficiaries, including, Hajara Jibrin, Aisha Saidu, and Amina Muhammadu, expressed their gratitude, noting that the free drugs provided were unaffordable to them under normal circumstances.
According to them, it’s the first time they are experiencing such a free gesture, and it came at a time they needed it most.