The Junior Chamber International (JCI) says it has dewormed at least 100 children at the New Kuchigoro Internally Displaced Persons Camp in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The President of JCI, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Abuja Unit, Mr Desmond Umukoro, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
Umukoro further said the organisation also provided over 150 treated mosquito nets for women in the camp.
He said the gesture was part of the group’s humanitarian services to society.
He also spoke on other JCI programmes, saying the NGO had provided opportunities for youths to develop themselves.
“One of such opportunities was getting a team-lead that is in charge of doing a need assessment of communities and bringing feedback.
“The feedback we got was that malaria is prevalent in this camp and the women and children lack mosquito treated nets.
“Unfortunately, most of them do not have access to treatment for malaria and worm-related illnesses.
“So, that is why we are here to render those services and, as you can see, most of them came out to benefit from our services.
“We came with our partners, including a team of medical personnel and volunteers, to carry out malaria test and various blood samples.
“We shall also prescribe drugs and do deworming for the children.
“For the past seven years now, JCI Abuja Unity has been carrying out this kind of projects in different communities and impacting lives in the FCT.
“We shall continue to do so as service to humanity,” Umukoro said.
The Team-Lead, Mr David Ogundipe, said he observed that malaria was ravaging the community during his needs assessment visit, hence the intervention.
“We cannot address the issues alone. We came with our partners, including Thriving Up Initiative, Sam Empowerment Foundation, Lifez Green Diamond Acres, Faith of Hope Foundation and Mmayens Kitchen and Outdoor Catering Services.
“The partnership facilitated the test and treatment of malaria, distribution of the mosquito treated nets and feeding the IDPs with food and snacks,” Ogundipe said.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with NAN, expressed gratitude to JCI and its partners for the intervention.
One of them, Mr John Adamu, identified malaria as the most prevalent and deadly ailment in the camp.
Adamu said unfortunately the mini clinic in the camp only open three times a week.
Also, Hajiya Hauwa Abubakar expressed delight that the treated nets she received would go a long way in protecting her family from malaria.
Abubakar said she almost lost her four-year-old child to malaria last month. (NAN)
