DEPOWA Takes Free Medical Outreach to Durumi IDP Camp, NOWA Builds Capacity of Members 

Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja 

The National President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs. Oghogho Musa, has taken her free medical outreach to Durumi IDP Camp, to attend to the health needs of internally displaced persons in the camp. 

The president also donated drugs and mosquito nets to the makeshift clinic in the camp and also conducted antenatal care for pregnant women. 

Mrs. Musa, who visited the camp in company of a team of military doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals as part of activities to mark her birthday, also presented food items and fruits to ward off hunger and malnutrition in the camp. 

This was as Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), builds the capacity of wives of military personnel on how to navigate the current socio-economic hardship, as well as the general management of home front in the absence of their husbands. 

Addressing the press after the presentation of the items to the leadership of the camp, DEPOWA president said: “We have gathered here today, not only to mark my special day, but to also demonstrate our commitment to solving and supporting those in need. To the IDPs here today, I want to assure you that we see through your struggles, we hear your stories and we are determined to help you in the little way we can and  that is why we are here today to reach out to you and offer our helping hands.”

On the one-day medical outreach, Musa said that consultation and treatment of the sick is also ongoing such as checking of blood pressure, test for blood sugar, antenatal service and administration of drugs including deworming for both adults and children. 

According to her, dispensing of drugs to the sick amongst us and donation of drugs to the camp clinics, such as antibiotics and malaria drugs, etc are ongoing. Each pregnant woman in this camp will get a delivering pack to ensure safe and clean delivery. In addition to the medical outreach. I cannot ignore the plight of our displaced persons with regard to their nutrition needs. So, I am also donating 90 bags of rice, 10 bags of garri, 10 bags of guinea corn, 10 bags of corn, 10 bags of oranges, 10 bags of garden eggs and three hundred mosquito nets.

Appreciating the humanitarian gesture, a woman leader in the displaced camp, Ms. Ayuba, applauded her for putting smiles on the faces of the IDPs. She however, appealed to those in the National Assembly to emulate Mrs. Musa and come to their aid so that each and every one of them can be properly reintegrated to the society.

Also, the National President, Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), Mrs Ijeoma Ogalla, put together a capacity building for Naval Ratings Wives Association on how to navigate the current socio-economic challenges.

Represented by Vice President Naval Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), Ms. Zainab Akpan, the President said: “We organised this programme because we have come to the realization that any association is as strong as their weakest link. We understand that military wives are heroes and home warriors. The wives of the ratings are not exempted from the socioeconomic problems.”

Ogalla noted that the association is building the capacity of wives of military officers to enable them manage the home front while their husbands are away on the war front or on the sea, providing security in the Maritime environment. 

According to her, the challenges of military wives are similar, our husbands are mostly not at home and the women are left to raise the children alone most of the time.