Zagyiri Community gets child welfare clinic

A Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) has been constructed for the Zagyiri community in the Sagnarigu Municipality to provide access to and promote health care and service delivery in the areas of antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and their babies.

The fully-furnished CWC, which is made up of a pavilion, office, store and a two-unit urinal, will also serve as a place for weighing babies as well as to engage mothers on Learning through Play methodology, which is vital for the development of children zero to three years and three to six years.

It was constructed by Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme (MABCDP) with funding from Children Believe as part of efforts to provide access and promote health care and service delivery in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region.

This new facility has replaced the old structure, which is very small and in a deplorable state forcing some mothers to seek such health care services outside of the community.

Mr Joshua Sayibu, Partner Programme Manager of MABCDP, speaking during the handing over of the CWC to the authorities of the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly and the community at Zagyiri, said the organisation prioritised health care services for its sponsored children, families and communities hence the gesture.

MABCDP is a local organisation that has been working in partnership with Children Believe, an international non-governmental organisation, for the past 26 years in Sagnarigu and Gushegu Municipalities and Kumbungu District to improve the lives of children, families and communities.

The focus areas of their interventions include education, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, sustainable livelihoods development and strengthening institutions and community organisation alongside integrating child protection, gender, environment, agriculture and HIV and AIDS to improve access, quality and empowerment.

Mr Sayibu said “Over the years, we have provided health centres, supported CHPS compounds with consumables, non-consumables and basic equipment, supported in promoting health education and campaigns across our communities as well as promoting sexual and adolescent reproductive health in our schools.”

Mrs Esenam Kavi De Souza, Country Director of Children Believe, who was represented during the event, said the inauguration of the CWC at Zagyiri brought to four the total number of CWCs constructed with support from Children Believe in the Northern Region (three) and Upper East Region (one).

She said this was in line with the Early Childhood Care and Development Programme of Children Believe, which sought to improve the healthcare needs of infants and mothers adding the CWC would also provide information on sexual and reproductive health to adolescent girls.

She emphasised the need for regular maintenance of the facility to serve them for a long time.

Mr Ahmed Yakubu Mohammed, Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive thanked MABCDP and Children Believe for providing the facility for the community saying “You have reduced the pressure that was on us to provide this facility, and we are very grateful for this gesture.”

Mr George Abraham, Sagnarigu Municipal Director of Health was optimistic that health outcome in the area would be improved as mothers patronised the facility.

Mr Abukari Issahaku, Assembly Member for Zagyiri-Kamina Electoral Area expressed appreciation to the partners for the facility saying “It has come at the right time. We used to walk to Kamina Barracks, which is quite a distance, for such services.”