The 13th president of the Rotary Club of Abuja, Maitama, Rtn. Rosemond Favour Uche, said her club will spend N20million on masses-oriented projects.
She listed the priority projects as maternal and child health in rural areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), improving water supply in the Kuje Correctional Facility, and focusing on the development of the boy-child.
She pledged to expand the Club’s impactful work both locally and globally.
“In our 2024-25 plans, this club will undertake projects in Rotary’s seven core thematic areas, estimated at N20 million.
“Our projects have been a testament to Rotary’s enduring commitment to humanitarian service and have significantly impacted countless lives”.
She also said the club will promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies, and protect the environment, adding that her focus will particularly target her three key areas of passion.
She said: “As we are taking off, July is known as the month of maternal health and child care, so, first of all, we will locate hospitals in the interior of the FCT. We want to prioritise village hospitals for maximum impact.
“We will give them birthing bags that contain all the compulsory items required for pregnant women before they deliver in a hospital. We will start with 100 bags and distribute them to village hospitals in rural communities.
“Another significant project is improving the Kuje Correctional Facility’s water supply. Having discovered that their borehole is outdated and filled with mud, we will dig a new one that is solar-powered, ensuring they can pump water even without the main power supply.
“The place is a correctional centre, no longer a place to inflict punishment, so we need to make the environment conducive for them.”
Uche also highlighted the importance of focusing on the boy-child, saying, “The plight of the boy-child tops my priority list. While we often discuss the girl-child, I discovered that if these impressionable boys are not well-mentored at a prime age, they end up destroying the women you have nurtured.
“We need to spotlight the need for early and adequate attention and nurturing of the boy-child. We all know that if you train a girl or a woman, you have trained a nation. But to prevent untrained boys from derailing or destroying the trained girls, we must also focus on the future of the boy-child.
“This is what we want to champion through training, mentoring,
equipping, and empowering them for future challenges.”
In her valedictory speech, Joyce Agwu, the club’s immediate past president, reflected on the successes of her tenure and expressed gratitude for the team’s unwavering dedication.
She revealed that 29 service projects were completed, transforming countless lives and leaving a profound legacy of service and empathy.
Agwu expressed confidence in Uche’s ability to elevate the Club’s work.
“As we gaze ahead towards the promising horizon that the upcoming year unveils, let us carry forth the invaluable lessons imbibed and the triumphs attained.
“The dawn of the new year brings fresh prospects for us to innovate, collaborate, and perpetuate our ethos of service above self,” she said.
The chairman of the occasion, Chris Uche (SAN), urged Nigerians to emulate Rotary’s leadership succession method, which is devoid of rancour or litigation while encouraging political leaders to work selflessly for the people they serve.
The event concluded with honour awards to philanthropists and individuals who have distinguished themselves in humanitarian service.
