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…as club president say initiative is to improve living conditions women, children

By Gloria Ikibah

The Rotary Club of Abuja Gudu has reiterated its commitment to community development through a major outreach project tagged Learn, Empower, and Heal (LEH), held on Saturday at Angwan Fulani community in the Gaduwa area of Abuja.

Speaking during the event, President of the Club, Rotarian Kizita Ezenagu, explained that the project embodies three of Rotary’s seven key areas of focus: basic education and literacy, community and economic development, and disease prevention and treatment.

According to her, the initiative was designed to improve the living conditions of residents in the adopted community, particularly women and children.

Naijablitznews.com reports that the Rotary Club of Abuja Gudu recently executed a series of impactful community development projects aimed at improving education, health, and livelihoods in the Angwan Fulani community, Gaduwa, Abuja.

The Club’s intervention included the distribution of 100 branded school bags, 100 water bottles, school uniforms, over 2,000 exercise books, literature texts, and other essential writing and learning materials, alongside the provision of scholarships to 20 deserving pupils.

As part of its economic empowerment initiative, the Club organised training sessions in pastry production and provided 10 women with start-up support, including filled cooking gas cylinders, frying pans, spoons, and complete business starter kits to help them establish sustainable means of income.

In the area of health and wellness, the Club conducted a comprehensive medical and eye care outreach, which featured free eye screening, distribution of 150 prescription glasses, eye medication, HIV and Hepatitis testing and vaccination, blood pressure and glucose checks, malaria and typhoid testing and treatment, as well as deworming for children.

Additionally, the Club extended support to young girls and women through the distribution of sanitary pads, promoting menstrual hygiene and wellbeing within the community.

The multi-sectoral intervention underscores Rotary’s enduring commitment to service, compassion, and community transformation.

On education, Rotarian Ezenagu noted that the Club distributed essential school materials to pupils in the community school to encourage learning and reduce street activity among children.

“This project is themed Project LEH – Learn, Empower, and Heal. We chose three areas of focus where we are carrying out our intervention,” she said.

“We gave children books, textbooks, school bags, water bottles, writing materials, and all the essentials they need to stay in school for one full year. This is our way at RC Abuja Gudu of keeping children off the streets by keeping them in school and making them useful to society,” she said.

Speaking on the empowerment component, Ezenagu disclosed that over 200 women were trained in pastry production, with 10 of them receiving full start-up kits.

She added that the Heal component focused on improving healthcare within the community.

“Whenever we come to this community, we come with our medical team and make sure that we give them what they need. We noticed many cases of skin and eye problems, so we organised an eye outreach, tested them for sight issues, and provided prescription glasses.

“We also carried out hepatitis tests and vaccinations for residents,” she explained.

Reflecting on the Club’s long-term engagement with the community, Rotarian Ezenagu revealed that Rotary Club of Gudu has worked in Angwan Fulani community for six years.

“We adopted this community six years ago. When we first came, there was no light, no water, no toilet — nothing. We have built a school, constructed toilet facilities, drilled boreholes, and carried out back-to-school projects every year since then,” she said.

She also acknowledged the contribution of several partner organisations that collaborated to make the outreach a success.

Calling on the government to complement such private interventions, Ezenagu urged authorities to do more in addressing the needs of marginalised communities.

“We worked with Golden Crown International Schools, Masam International School, Silver Cross Hospitals, Everight Diagnostics, and Yugos Eye Clinic.

“The government is doing what they can, but it’s not enough. There are many impoverished communities which the government cannot reach. This is why Rotary has stepped in.

“This is a call on the government to do more. There are still many children born into poverty who end up on the streets. The government should intensify efforts to reach these communities and give them a better life so that Nigeria can truly develop,” she stated.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Project Chair of RC Abuja Gudu, Rotarian Chris Okeke, explained that the initiative was part of the Club’s three-in-one project for the year, focusing on empowerment, education, and health.

Rotarian Okeke added that the outreach reached a significant number of beneficiaries from the community.

“My name is Chris Okeke. I’m the Project Chair of Abuja Gudu for this year, and we have been able to deliver a three-in-one project, which is empowerment, back to school, and healing. And we have done that successfully. We are grateful to God for the turnout.

“The number of people that came out today — in fact, it’s over 200 people. We empowered a lot of people today as well,” he stated.

Breaking down the components of the project, Okeke explained that the empowerment focused on teaching women practical income-generating skills.

“We trained women to make chin-chin and peanuts. For the healing section, we attended to men and women with eye problems, diabetes, and other health issues, and we provided vaccines for Hepatitis B, C, and HIV to prevent diseases.”

The beneficiaries expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Rotary Club for the life-changing intervention. One community member, speaking in gratitude, said, “We are grateful for all the work you have done for us. You have helped me and my family. May God bless you all in Jesus’ name.”

Another resident joyfully noted improvements in their living conditions, saying, “There’s light now. Everyone here can see what Rotary members have done. I want everyone to appreciate them and make good use of what we have learned today.”

Rotarian Patience Mathias, one of the project facilitators for the skill acquisition, described the experience as both challenging and rewarding.

“It wasn’t easy. Despite the fact that we thought it might not hold, by God’s grace it became possible.

“The class was good, and I saw the eagerness in them. It shows that they understood. Doing more of this every year will certainly get a number of people off the streets”, she said.
She also encouraged participants to continue applying what they had learned.

“I saw some people writing and taking notes. Anything you forget, go back to your book. By the time you start with this, by God’s grace, it will yield more. I pray that God Almighty will bless every hand that made this possible to put smiles on the faces of these women,” Mathias said.

The project, which forms part of the Club’s ongoing community service initiatives, reflects Rotary’s global focus on promoting literacy, economic empowerment, and health.

The Abuja Gudu Club has worked in Angwan Fulani for several years, providing clean water, school facilities, and skills development programmes for residents.
With this latest outreach, the Club continues to strengthen its commitment to building resilient and self-sustaining communities — one project at a time.