Ahead of the 20th Anniversary of the Ijaw Female Students Association (NAIFS), the president/coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Comrade Joseph Evah, successfully dewormed children between the ages of zero to five years in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

The exercise which held across communities in the coastal kingdom is aimed at combating soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections prevalent among preschool-age children in Nigeria, which can cause mal-absorption, vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and malnutrition, significantly impacting children's physical and mental development.

Some of the communities visited were Oporoza, Okerenkoko, Kunukunuama, Kurutie, Azuzuama, Ubefan, Inikorogha, Azama, Kokodiagbene, Benikrukru, Jones creek, and amongst others.

Evah's medical outreach was supervised by the NAIFS Alumnae, which toured Gbaramatu Kingdom and successfully dewormed thousands of children among various communities.

The NAIFS Alumnae medical outreach was coordinated by Barr Kemeseifa Ebikefe Youkere, flanked by NAIFS' president, Mrs Stella Zuayei; Mrs Glory Otutufugha, president, Gbaramatu Female Graduates Association; and other numerous female students across Delta State.

The outreach donated hundreds of notebooks, pencils, pen, branded T-shirts, balloons and other writing materials to school children during the visits as part of giving back to the Niger Delta society.

The NAIFS Alumnae medical outreach coordinator, Barr  Youkere, during the visits, emphasised on the importance of deworming children and even adults, stating that the intestinal parasites are capable causing ulcer, malnutrition and other serious health challenges.

The chairman of Oporoza community and chairman of all chairmen, Hon.Godwin Febaide, who received members of the outreach at the kingdom's headquarters, commended Comr. Evah for prioritising Gbaramatu Kingdom in his children deworming programme 2024.

He said deworming of children is one peculiar area that parents are lacking in riverine communities, citing the dangers of excessive parasites in the body, particularly in children.

The president of Gbaramatu Female Graduates Association, Mrs. Otutufugha, appreciated the gesture of Comr. Evah for considering the Gbaramatu Kingdom for his deworming programme, stating the programme will impact positively on the lives of children.

Also commenting, Niger Delta activist and president, Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF), Comr. Ozobo, commended Comr. Evah for his humanitarian services in the Niger Delta region, noting that the gesture will help to promote healthy life among benefiting children in the area.

He further commended the leadership of the various communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom for coming out en masse to embrace the opportunity to improve healthy life among children in the Kingdom.

During the visits, speakers in the various communities visited spoke in the same vein, and urged parents to seize the rare opportunity to deworm their children that are between the ages of zero to five.

Meanwhile, the 20th Anniversary of the NAIFS which will be held at Lagos metropolis is slated for November 29 to December 1, 2024. 

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