Africare takes ‘Powerforward’ anniversary to Abuja IDPs

“This information is being passed to them by two ‘Powerforward’ children. The ‘Powerforward’ girls have been trained on personal hygiene, how to keep themselves clean, how to say no to abuses and how to ensure that their environment is clean. We are here to actually step down information to young adolescent girls at the camp.

“We also came with information about malaria, menstruation, prevention of HIV/AIDS and healthy relationships. We came along with ‘Powerforward’ personal hygiene kits. In the kit, we have LLIN, toothpaste, toothbrush, sanitary towels, deodorants, we have sanitizers and other little makeup things that make adolescent girls happy.

“Afterwards, we will share the kits with the girls and keep relationship with the girls, and we’ll keep checking on them to ensure that the training has been very effective. In the IDP camp, there are about 200 out-of-school youths; there are about 700 out-of-school (people altogether) For the young boys, they are actually very wild and traumatized and we are working on how we can provide such information for them. They always go out to look for how to make a living, but the girls are here, redundant.”

The team also sensitized women at the camp on how to use gas in place of firewood or any other means of cooking that could constitute health hazards.

“Africare believes children at the camp do not have similar opportunities to succeed in life like their contemporaries across the nation, despite their location in the nation’s capital.

“For now, I will say no because they are constrained. They don’t have school, they don’t have toilets. They don’t have electricity. The place is dark. They are just redundant. They don’t have means of listening to news. They are so traumatized. They don’t have counsellors. Their opportunities are limited,” Adekeye stated.

She also explained the link between sport and health, as used by the partners (Africare, NBA and Exxonmobil) saying:  “We are using basketball as conveyor for personal hygiene, leadership skills, public health information. For the camp, they don’t have the space to practice the sport, but they are still entitled to the information,” she said.