A group of graduates from the Federal University of Technology, Minna has made a valuable contribution by donating various healthcare items worth $500 to the Jatapi Community of Gidan Kwano Village, located opposite the University’s Main Campus.
According to a report, the team received a grant of approximately N300,000 from LEAP Africa, a non-profit NGO dedicated to empowering young Nigerian undergraduates under the age of 30 years.
LEAP Africa provides them with capacity-building training and a supportive environment to become self-leaders who can bring about enduring positive change in their communities, the report says.
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, during a ceremony held at the Primary Health Care Centre in Jatapi, Gidan Kwano Village, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta, conveyed his appreciation on behalf of the university. He applauded the students’ achievement and assured them of the university’s support.
Prof Kuta emphasised that community service is a crucial objective of any university, and he expressed gratitude to the community for their cooperation, which enabled the students to carry out this project.
Tiamiyu Quazeem Omotoyosi, the team leader and a graduate from the Department of Agriculture and Bioresource Engineering, stated that the project’s primary goal was to ensure accessible and high-quality healthcare services, promoting healthy living conditions within the community. He emphasised the importance of citizens contributing to the betterment of their immediate surroundings.
“After conducting a needs assessment, the team identified a scarcity of drugs and basic medical equipment as the major challenges faced by the local health facility. Thus, their intervention focused on addressing these issues,” the report unveiled.
Quazeem disclosed that LEAP Africa initially covered 70 percent of the grant used to procure the items in accordance with their standard procedure. He expressed the team’s determination to contribute the remaining 30 percent to the community.
The team leader appealed for further support from individuals and groups to enable them to do more, and he expressed their commitment to conducting a health awareness campaign within the Gidan Kwano community. The campaign aims to raise awareness and educate people about preventive health measures.
During the event, the Village Head of Gidan Kwano, Alhaji Abdulmalik Muhammad, represented by Mr. Bako Wakili Bosso, expressed his gratitude for the timely development. He highlighted the increased health challenges faced by the community due to the season and the influx of students from the Bosso Campus to Gidan Kwano, which has augmented the community’s population.
He acknowledged the commendable efforts of the team and assured everyone that the donated items would be used judiciously.
The team also included Na’ima Ibrahim (Graduand) from the Department of Crop Production, serving as the Deputy Team Lead, Yakubu Usman (Graduand) from the Department of Building Technology, Abdulazeez Arafah Mayowa (Graduand) from the Department of Quantity Surveying, and Aminat Abdulkareem from the Department of Civil Engineering, currently in her third year.
