Fides Media Living the Faith
By Abuchi Onwumelu of Fides Media (Publishers of Fides Newspaper)
A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) under the aegis of Malaria Eradication and Safe Health Initiative (MESHI) of Nigeria last Tuesday took the fight against Malaria in Anambra State to Community Primary School, Ofenochi Abagana, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State as part of its activities to mark this year’s World Malaria Day Celebration.
The Community Primary School is located inside St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Abagana.
Addressing the Management, teachers and pupils, the founder and chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT), Professor Dennis Aribodor said they were at St. Michael’s Parish to create awareness about the dangers posed to mankind by Malaria and also provide practical and lasting solutions to the menace, noting that Malaria had cut many lives short , especially pregnant women and children under the age of five.
According to Prof Aribodor, who is a professor of Public Health Parasitology of the Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Biosciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, MESHI was founded in the year 2002 and was saddled with responsibility of forming a strong partnership with Government at all levels , Charity Organizations and public spirited individuals to put a stop to deaths occasioned by malaria, saying that they were dependent on foreign and local donors, especially Charity Organizations to carry out their activities.
The University Don said that this year’s fund came from African Fashion Show Australia and was attracted by a Professor of Surveying and Geoinformatics, department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Ebele Emengini.
‘We are grateful to African Fashion Show Australia for her support and also to Professor Ebele Emengini for facilitating the funds. We were about ten NGOs across Africa that competed for the fund and eventually we won. We really happy and thankful to our benefactors. We are open to partnership with the government, individuals, corporate bodies and charity organizations,’ Aribodor said.
The event which started with an opening prayer said by the Manager of the school and the Parish Priest of St. Michael Catholic Church, Abagana, Reverend Father Anselm Okechukwu witnessed quiz competition geared towards inculcating in the pupils the measures to be taken to ensure malaria free society.
Some members of MESHI group led by Prof Dennis Aribodor with the three pupils of Community Primary School Abagana who emerged victorious during the quiz competition
The pupils numbering over 200 were seen asking and answering questions from MESHI team. The pupils took fight against malaria lessons from the ground and promised to put into practice all that they were taught.
In their separate separate speeches, the Manager of the school, Rev. Fr Anselm Okechukwu, the facilitator of the fund Prof Ebele Emengini, officer in-charge of Njikoka Education Authority, Okonkwo Ify Joy represented by HoS Quality Assurance, Okafor Chinenye, Head Mistress of the school, Mrs Fidelia Nezieanya urged the pupils to take seriously all they were taught and also to join spread the messages to others.
Chukwudilim Odobe came first in the quiz competition while Chimamanda Obiajulu and Chukwudumuaga Odobe came second and third respectively.
Items presented to the school’s management, teachers and pupils included, 4 packets of white board marker, 9 buckets with tap for pupils drinking water, 6 cartons of biscuits for pupils, 6 cartons of hollandia yoghurt for pupils, Payment of one term school fees for the overall best in the Quiz Competition and giving out of insecticidal-treated mosquito nets to all participants in the Quiz Competition as well as one carton of malt and some biscuits for teachers.
Quiz competition, presentation of prizes to the winners of the quiz, payment of one term school fees for overall best in the quiz competition, gifts for participants, all the pupils, the teachers and the school, questions and answers formed highpoints of the event.