There are a few poorly equipped public schools having teachers who have no incentives to work and no opportunities to improve teaching skills. The local medical centre is lacking in medicines, equipment and medical staff so that proper medical attention is limited especially for women of childbearing age.
Such basic amenities as electricity and water supply are limited resulting in poor living conditions. Primary health care facilities are almost non-existent and even with the presence of physical buildings representing Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the localities, a closer look will reveal some unwholesome and most degrading scenarios; the primary health centres (PHC) are not equipped at all. Some house only one or two admission beds while all the primary health centres visited lacked drugs in the dispensaries.
Malaria fever is rampant with the highest peak experienced between June–September yearly. Malaria treatments in these rural communities cost as much as N3500 per individual; a sum which is almost impossible for the villagers who are mostly peasant farmers, this is common amongst older members of the community. The result as is to be expected is high mortality from this easily treatable disease. Glaucoma and cataracts are also rampant in this area among the elderly.
Women struggle to support families although their poor educational background prevents most from advancing to gain better opportunities.
The concept behind Social Welfare Network Initiative (SWNI) might seem conventional today, but its beginning was as a result of an uncommon vision of the founder; “We desire to build a new paradigm: one in which rural and semi-urban communities operate to add value to society — without compromising the well-being of future generations.”
This vision has led to the development of an initiative that will provide support to government efforts by providing Life- Saving Assistance to the most vulnerable groups across the Federation.
