Dr. Christian Oko is the executive director of Healthy and Smart Children Foundation (HSCF), a non- governmental organisation with focus on the education, health and welfare of children in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bayelsa, Niger, Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi states. In this interview with PAUL OKAH, he speaks on the plight of children in rural areas, how the NGO assisted in kicking polio out of Nigeria, among others.
Tell us about Healthy and Smart Children Foundation?
Healthy and Smart Children Foundation (HSCF) is a non-governmental organisation focused on the education, health, and legal rights of vulnerable children. HSCF was founded in 2017, following the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) community development services we did in Bayelsa state in response to the many underprivileged children who die of preventable diseases around rural camps and villages. These ones neither have access to primary health care nor basic education. They are often violated, abused and seem to live with hopeless future. HSCF emerged to seek ways to meet these needs. HSCF reaches out to poor children in secluded and hard to reach areas, extending good health, education and other valuables to make them live better lives and unleash their potentials. We also seek to protect their rights and help them contribute to community development.
Any achievement so far?
So far, we have done free medical outreaches for children living in riverine camps and communities. Also, we volunteered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to extend polio vaccination to children living in secluded areas, leading to the eradication of polio from Nigeria.
We have also done different outreaches in primary and secondary schools, de-worming, teaching and offering health education and counselling for them. Recently, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we partnered with Auxano Foundation and Yudee Excel Foundation to launch the Pandemic Communicare Projects. Together, we have done about five projects to provide food, water and provide clothing materials for people living in leprosy homes and rural communities in Niger state, Akwa Ibom state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). We formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) last year as we still continue our works for vulnerable and underprivileged children in different ways. You can visit our website or social media handles for updates on our activities.
Did the Foundation carry out any activity during the World Food Day?
Following the Sustainable Development Goal 1 to zero hunger, children are worse victims in times of hunger as they need good nourishment in their early stages of development. In celebration of the 2020 World Food Day held every October 16, we visited Ameta community in Afikpo North on Sunday, October 18, for sensitisation and outreach. The Ameta outreach was to de-worm and feed as many underprivileged children with nourishing food as possible. Fried rice with vegetables, big chicken and fruit drinks were served to over 500 children in the community, including de-worming drugs. We taught them and their parents how to use local food items for nourishment. As you may know, the 2020 World Food Day is a remarkable one which comes at the 75th anniversary of the Food Agricultural Organisation and with a Nobel Prize award. This is in response to the World Food Programme to combat hunger in conflict areas. This year, the theme of the World Food Day is ‘Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our Future.” This has inspired our project De-worm And Nourish A Child Outreach Mission (DANACOM), to bring home the theme of this event.
Will you say govt’s doing enough for Nigerian children?
I thank the government for the much they have done to improve the health of children and other Nigerians. However, I don’t think they are doing enough, regarding the fact that our primary health care services have not been effective and most children in rural areas are not being reached in their services. In 2018, the National Demographic Health Survey reported that one in eight Nigerian children never reach the age of five. UNICEF also stated that Nigeria is currently the highest contributor to under-5 deaths. This is disheartening and still raises brows of concern. These children bear potentials to develop our country, but they die because of preventable diseases. These illnesses could be easily prevented if the children in the rural villages had access to primary health care. Most of their communities have no structural or functional health centres. The few government hospitals available are below standard and overcrowded, not meeting the health needs of the community. Besides, the cost of accessing the available healthcare centres is high, leading to reliance on orthodox traditional medicine, which is not reliable. The government should standardise our primary healthcare centres and work towards actualising health insurance coverage for all citizens.
What is the way forward?
Efforts should also be made to improve the education of these children. Many of them in the rural areas do not have good schools or their teachers do not teach because they are not paid salaries. These teachers make a lot of efforts to travel through bad roads and on canoes in order to reach the village schools. They deserve attention to encourage their work in educating our children for excellence. I know some friends who had to leave these communities as students in order to get good education and are now international stars. Our students must not always leave home to excel. Not all have the opportunity. They are very intelligent and must be allowed to shine. Efforts must be made to extend good health and education to them.
Do you partner with other CSOs on children?
Collaboration is effective in community development impact. Partnership among civil society organisations and other bodies is important bearing in mind our common goal in improving the lives of vulnerable children. We partner with other NGOs and also receive donations from individuals. We are very accountable for whatever is received as a charitable and non-profit organisation. Therefore, I encourage top government officials to take occasional trips or get reports from these rural areas and see what some underprivileged citizens suffer. I also urge them to make policies and create programmes that will improve lives and help development. Our state government should work towards strengthening the primary health care in rural areas. Health centres and hospitals should be increased, equipped and staffed to grant access every time and everywhere. Community Health Insurance should be encouraged and supported by government; to prevent people from undergoing financial crisis when they need healthcare. Also, schools should be built and made functional in rural areas. Teachers should be paid salaries when due with, transport allowances for those posted to hard-to-reach areas. The aforementioned will encourage them to give their best in education development of school children. It will also reduce the number of dropouts and make them shine out globally.
What advice do you have for parents, govt?
I believe children are the cradle for development. They are the nursery from which we can grow instruments of social development or social ills. I advise that great interest should be paid on our children; their health, education, social and moral upbringing. These will ensure that we have youths who are committed to maximising their potentials and working towards community peace and development. It will also give them little time to think of indulging in irresponsible acts like cultism. If our children are properly cultured, then our youth will be excellently productive. I want to add that care of children is not a task to be left for the government alone. We all can choose to contribute our own little quota; starting from the very spot we find ourselves in. HSCF has made a commitment to facilitate this process in every way possible and the Ameta outreach is only one of our several little steps as we have to continue promoting healthy living for children.