By Ada Okafor
A member of the National Youth Service Corps, Ihenyen Ehinome Joy (AD/20B/1932), serving in Adamawa State, has converted an abandoned building to a clinic in Kpogno Community, a rural community in Girei LGA of Adamawa State.
The idea of setting up a 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 programme.
While registering the pupils in the village (Kpogno), Joy observed that several people, particularly the children and the elderly, were not looking healthy enough. After some enquiries, she realized that the rural dwellers had to travel 14 kilometers 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 during her NYSC Community Development Service (CDS) Programme, she strategized, secured the necessary support and approval of the NYSC, mobilized 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.
It is mission accomplished for Copa Joy because the people of Kpogno Community no longer have to travel 14 kilometers to access simple medical care. Copa Joy, an indigene of Ekpoma LGA, Edo State, came to their rescue through the NYSC.
To ensure continued sustenance, management and viability of the health care centre, Corps member Joy partnered with the State Primary Healthcare through the Girei LGA PHC to continue providing drugs, medicare and other medical consumables and non consumables to the clinic.
Corps member converts a dilapidated building to clinic in Adamawa
