The Rotary Club of Abuja Kubwa Gateway has commissioned a new washroom facility at Government Secondary School in Kubwa, distributed sanitary kits to 1,000 girls, and hosted a Spelling Bee competition for ten government secondary schools in the Bwari area council.
During the event, the club also announced the launch of its flagship project: a 25-bed primary health clinic in the Ijayapi community, located in the Biazyn axis of Kubwa. The project, estimated at ₦50 million, is aimed at serving over 3,000 residents.
Speaking at the event, the Club President, Rtn. Sunday Fasipe, stated that the health clinic was identified as the community’s most critical need following a thorough assessment.
“We chose the project because our assessment results indicated that the community actually lacks these facilities.
“We discovered that residents have lost loved ones due to the distance to the nearest hospital, often because of ailments like malaria and severe headaches. So, we decided to bring healthcare closer to the people,” he said.
Fasipe expressed confidence that the facility would be completed before the end of the year and called for support from well-meaning Nigerians.
“Rotary doesn’t get money from anywhere. We tax ourselves to get projects done. But we pray that we have the support of many good Nigerians who will support our vision,” he said.
The event at GSS Kubwa showcased Rotary’s diverse focus areas. Fasipe highlighted the educational impact of the Spelling Bee, which featured students from ten schools, including GSS Kubwa 1-4, Deidei, Biazyn, and Dutse.
“Under basic education and literacy, I felt that I should bring schools together to encourage literacy and improve spelling among the students,” Fasipe said.
The Project Chair for the event, Rtn. Prince Kingsley Onuora, elaborated on the three simultaneous projects.
“The first is a Spelling Bee competition to encourage the students. The second is the distribution of over 1,000 pads to the girl child. Then the third is the washroom commissioning,” Onuora said.
He explained that the newly commissioned two-unit toilet facility, constructed at a cost of nearly ₦1 million, is designed to help reduce infections, especially among the teachers and students.
While celebrating the day’s successes, Onuora shifted focus to the health centre project in the Ijayapi community.
“That project will cover a reasonable area of Rotary focus, which includes maternal and child health care, disease prevention and control, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH),” he said.
He emphasised the project’s potential to reduce maternal mortality and provide easily accessible medical care, thereby preventing conflicts that sometimes arise at overcrowded health facilities.
“We are calling on individuals, the minister, and all who can come to the aid of Rotary International to ensure that project sees the light of day,” Onuora said.
One of the participants in the Spelling Bee competition, Ms. Olasho Sofiatu Lakewusewa, commended the Rotary Club for organising the event. She said it had boosted their knowledge by teaching them how to spell tricky words with silent letters.
Winners of the competition were awarded scholarships to cover their tuition until the completion of their senior secondary education, alongside gifts of school bags and exercise books.
