ANIOMA WATCH TAKES MATERNAL CARE OUTREACH TO AMAI, AS EVANGELIST DORIS ABOH, HON. GABRIEL OSEH JOIN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 ANIOMA WATCH TAKES MATERNAL CARE OUTREACH TO AMAI, AS EVANGELIST DORIS ABOH, HON. GABRIEL OSEH JOIN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 

By Emeka Esogbue

The Anioma Watch Association has taken its five-day maternal and child healthcare outreach to Amai in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, providing new-life starter packs and health education to expectant mothers at the community’s Primary Health Centre.

The outreach, held on Friday, brought together expectant mothers, healthcare workers, community representatives and members of the Anioma Watch Association, with prominent Amai personalities, including Evangelist Doris Aboh and Hon. Gabriel Oseh, among those who graced the event.

The programme commenced with an opening prayer by Miss Joy Ozeh, followed by the introduction of the Anioma Watch team by the association’s President, Engr. Abela Emuebie Ihienkaegho.

Welcoming the delegation, the Matron of the Primary Health Care Centre, Amai, Mrs. Benedicta Egwuenu, expressed delight over the turnout of expectant mothers and the selection of the facility for the outreach.

Egwuenu said the hospital maintained proper documentation of its patients, noting that she was familiar with many of them by name. She subsequently introduced members of the health facility’s staff.

The Special Guest of Honour, Evangelist Doris Aboh, who described herself as a proud daughter of Amai, said she preferred to regard herself as the host of the occasion and the Anioma Watch delegation as her guests.

Aboh, a Nigerian Christian evangelist and media professional who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media to former Delta State Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro during the Okowa administration, expressed excitement that the Anioma Watch initiative had extended to Amai.

Speaking on the theme, “Healthy Mothers, Healthy Children: The Place of Medical Care, Faith and Community Support,” Aboh described pregnancy as a beautiful journey that requires wisdom, attention and proper care.

She urged expectant mothers to combine faith with appropriate medical care, stressing that antenatal services should not be treated as optional.

According to her, pregnant women should register for antenatal care early and attend their appointments regularly, while also paying close attention to their health after childbirth.

Aboh called for a stronger culture of maternal support in Amai, where pregnant women would feel free to seek medical attention, husbands would actively support their wives to attend antenatal clinics, and families would work together to ensure that mothers receive the care they need.

She also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, philanthropists and other well-meaning sons and daughters of Amai to sustain support for maternal healthcare initiatives.

While commending the distribution of mother-and-child starter packs, she noted that such material assistance should be complemented by knowledge, access to quality healthcare, encouragement and sustained community support.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Anioma Watch Association, Dr. Emeka Esogbue, described the organisation as a socio-cultural body committed to promoting societal development across the Anioma region.

Esogbue explained that the decision to take the outreach to Amai was informed by the association’s interest in the community and the encouragement of Chief Alfred Onyenwosa, the Onochieze of Amai.

He described mothers as “mothers of the nation” and encouraged the expectant women to prioritise their health so they could adequately care for their children.

The Anioma Watch trustee chairman further charged the women to raise children who would grow into responsible and productive citizens capable of contributing meaningfully to the development of Amai Kingdom and Nigeria.

He acknowledged the challenges associated with raising children, including sacrifice, patience and uncertainty, while encouraging the mothers to persevere and continue to pray for their families.

He expressed hope that the new-life starter packs provided by Anioma Watch would offer useful support to the beneficiaries during the early stages of motherhood.

Also speaking, Hon. Gabriel Oseh, a councillor from the community, conveyed the appreciation of the traditional ruler and the President-General of the Amai Development Union to Anioma Watch Association for selecting Amai for the initiative.

Oseh described the community as fortunate to be among those selected for the outreach and declared the entire Anioma Watch delegation indigenes of Amai.

The declaration was one of the highlights of the event, alongside a traditional Ukwuani welcome song performed by Mrs. Uti Florence in honour of the visiting delegation.

Other participants included Rev. Felix Nwabuokei, General Secretary of the Anioma Watch Association Board of Trustees; Miss Ifeyinwa Izegbu, Treasurer; Miss Joy Ozeh, Welfare/Social Secretary; and Miss Gloria Idegwu, a member of the association.

The health facility was represented by Mrs. Benedicta Egwuenu, Matron of Primary Health Care, Amai, and Mrs. Nze Vivian, Community Health Essential Worker.

The Amai outreach marked the conclusion of Anioma Watch Association’s five-day antenatal outreach programme, during which the organisation visited Ibusa, Issele-Uku, Onicha-Olona, Agbor and Amai.

At each location, the association provided new-life starter packs to expectant mothers while promoting maternal health awareness and the importance of community support for mothers and children.