ACRT Day 1 in Okene and Obangede

It was just few minutes before 4.00 am when I arrived Okene and as I disembarked at Ogaminana at such early hours of the morning, I wondered what was going on in the minds of my colleagues, Idris Abdul Rahman and Usman Aliyu who left Lagos in the early hours of Thursday, July in the company of the ACRT team members. As I made my way to the prestigious De Hilltop Guest house, Abdul Rahman and Terry Sebastian, a member of the team and a professional photographer from Canada had left for the cyber café.

Around 9am, we left the Guest house for the mission; delivering talk on and offering treatment to HIV/AIDS patients. Our first call was at Kogi state School of Nursing, Obangede. The students were happy and received the team expectantly.

Lizzy was wonderful. She delivered a lengthy talk on HIV; cause, modes of transmission, preventive methods and all that. She advised the students on the need to know their status as Nursing students who might be offering treatment to HIV patients in the future. She noted that without knowing their status, they could never be well prepared to cater for HIV positive patients.

The students were full of questions. Some even argued that it would be wrong for an HIV positive woman who knows her status to get pregnant as this could be a deliberate murder attempt to the unborn baby but Lizzy was quick to correct such. She analyzed the processes of assuring pregnancy of a woman without the virus but with an infected husband and the possibilities of an HIV positive woman having an un-infected baby.

In her view, the sexual transmission of the virus is like shooting a loaded gun at someone which could lead to death. To avoid responsibility for murder, Lizzy encouraged the students to check their status while discouraging the practice of unsafe sex by couples living with the virus who, by her explanation, could still make babies by use of inhibitors and other proven methods. The nursing students were educated on post-treatment measures which if not observed in the course of treating an HIV patient could lead to contraction of the disease.

The team moved to Obangede general hospital for the real job. Upon arrival we were amazed to find a similar effort by MTN Foundation tagged Partners Against Aids in the Community (MTNF-PAAC). Jacob Anebe, the program officer for MTNF-PAAC, while receiving the team in his office, thanked the team for choosing the centre as a point of call. He led the team to the HIV patients who waited patiently for the counselling before the distribution and prescription of drugs to the patients among whom were women and infants.

Two young orphans; Jamiu Momoh, 11 and Nurudeen Momoh, 8 who were brothers and the only beneficiaries of the day were full of joy as they played ball and music with Donna Cross and Terry Sebastian. The team promised to pay and monitor the school fee of the duo for the next one year. A revisit to Obagende is in progress at the time of posting this report.

NAKOSS comrades left the venue to arrange a visit to the royal father, HRM Dr. Ado Ibrahim. Despite the very short notice, the Ohinoyi delayed his appointment to the state capital to receive the team. Lizzy Walker, Donna Cross, Donna King and Terry Sebastian made the visit a great experience. After the introducing the team to the royal father by Kabir Ismail, Idris Abdul Rahman, one of the co-ordinators and EbiraView member quickly apologise for the urgent notice made to the palace before presenting the mission of ACRT in Okene.

Responding, HRM, Dr. Ado Ibrahim who displayed a fatherly love by offering handshakes to almost everyone of us, commended the effort of ACRT. In his view, the humanitarian effort that drove the team down to Africa deserved commendations. He educated the team of the malaria scourge and further advised that the team be prepared against the malaria parasite. The Ohinoyi however observed that many people in the community might not turn up for the HIV test due fear of stigmatization but he encouraged the team to keep up the good work and promised to give the team all his support.

The team in Obangede

A child about to be tested
Counselling session
Drugs implementation
A traditional chief, HRH. Alhaji M.S. Isah, the Asema of Ezuka (Dokaji of Ebira land) receiving the team at Azad Palace, Okene

Lizzy Walker taking a question from a Nursing student at the school of Nursing, Obangede Seminar with the Nursing students in Obangede
Jacob Anebe, MTNF-PAAC Program Officer receiving the team in his office at Obangede general hospital
Terry Sebastian, Donna King, Lizzy Walker, Jacob Anebe and Donna Cross at the general hospital, Obangede

Jamiu Momoh (right) and Nurudeen Momoh,brothers,orphans and the beneficiaries of the ACRT sponsorship program
Nursing students listening to Lizzy Walker
Usman Aliyu (EbiraView) and Donna King ath the Azad Palace
Donna King addressing the King, HRM. Dr. Ado Ibrahim, the Ohinoyi of Ebira land
'Message to the world' from Jamiu Momoh, an orphan
THE PALACE SHOTS:

Tina, Terry Sebastian, Lizzy Walker, Ohinoyi of Ebira land, HRM. Dr Ado Ibrahim, Donna Cross and Dona King at the majestic Azad palace, Okene
The team with the Ohinoyi
Kabir and flanked by traditional chiefs and Lizzy Walker
The team and the Asema of Ezuka, HRH. Alhaji M.S. Isah
Terry Sebastian, an artist, International Photographer and film maker has something to tell Canadians as he poses in the magnificent Azad Palace, Okene