Malaria: Power Forward Sensitises FCT Community, Offers Free Medical Services

Power Forward, a youth development initiative of ExxonMobil, NBA Africa and the international NGO PanAfricare, has carried out a malaria sensitisation programme in Kobi community, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The outreach was part of activities to commemorate the World Malaria Day and Power Forward’s 10 years of implementing malaria programmes in 40 secondary schools and local communities within the FCT, through the provision of malaria testing, counselling, sensitiation, treatment, distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) and raising awareness on malaria.

The event, which was carried out in collaboration with a school, the Divine Mercy, which won the Power Forward 9th Malaria Jeopardy, brought smile on the faces of residents of Kobi community as they benefited from the distribution of free Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets which were distributed mostly to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of five.

The Power Forward Malaria Jeopardy is an event involving the 40 secondary schools where Power Forward implements malaria programmes.

The country director, Pan Africa Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Adah, told journalists at the event that the programe was part of the series of activities planned to celebrate Power Forward 10th year anniversary.

He said the Power Forward project has been running for the past 10 years. “So this is part of the activities that we have planned to celebrate the 10th year of the implementation of power Forward project in schools.

“We are also using this event to support the national malaria elimination programme and the FCT and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to celebrate the world malara day, and this is even is actually planned with a school. One of the schools that are participating in the power Ford project, the Divine Mercy.

“The school won the malaria jeopardy of the 9th year Power Forward Malaria Jeopardy, an event where the students in the 40 schools compete and they are asked questions and the school that emerge winner won the sum of N200, 000. That money is given to them to support the malaria activity in their community. So the students from Divine mercy won the 9th year event and they were given that money to support malaria activity in this community. It’s a student-led community activities, ours is to support them, ” he explained.

A representative of the school, Zever Terkaa Gabriel, said the school has benefited from the partnership with the Power Forward and that the students were presenting a drama on malaria eradication during the event in the community.

Gabriel, who is the game master in the school said malaria sensitisation in a community like Kobi is very important so that they will how best to present it.

Power Forward teaches health literacy (malaria prevention and hygiene promotion) and life skills such as leadership, respect and personal responsibility through basketball and other programming to positively impact 1200 Nigerian secondary school students annually in FCT Abuja