SPECIAL REPORT:UNFPA in Collaboration with State Ministry of Women Affairs Trains Health Workers Working in IDPs Camps on Family Planning in Yola.

BY Catherine Philip Jelani

Today being the 7^th day of June 2016, the Deputy Country Representative of UNFPA Mr. Osaretin Adonri  was in Yola for the flagging off of  a training of health workers at the Internally Displaced Person’s Camp Malkohi. With him were some members of UNFPA out of which one is a specialist on Family Planning she is Mrs Amaka Anene  and the other is Mrs Rabiyatu Saghhir who is a specialist in maternal health. 

The UNFPA State Operating Officer Auwal Abubakar in his welcome address welcomed all participants and explained  the aim of the training which is to equip the health workers in the camps on how to manage IDPs in the area  of planning a family.

In a remark by the Deputy County Reps. Mr Osaretin Adonri, he said that Family Planning is all about saving lives. “ If there is anything that you need to communicate to the people about family planning, the first is that family planning is all about saving lives. No matter what any body thinks about it, no matter the propaganda, religious affiliation or whatever, but what family planning does is to save lives “.  He said.

Similarly, he encouraged the participants not to be weary or tired because they are saving lives “don’t look at the short term reward, look at the long term reward” he added.

In a contribution made by Auwal Bashir the  State Coordinator of action aid in the state, he called the attention of the participants on the purpose of the training which he said is for the  counsellors and health workers to support UNFPA/action aid with information dissemination during their community mobilisation exercise on family planning. 

How ever, he added that at the end of the training, he believes that they will have the basic information that they need in order to cascade it down during their community service at the primary level so that people can know what family planning is all about and how they can access services.

More so, the team was taken round the camp in the company of UNFPA family from the State Planning Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as well as Ministry of Health in order to see  what the IDPs were able to produce after acquiring some skills in soap making, pomade making, shampoo making, tailoring, and cap kneading. Also, some women made a presentation on their life lines using flowers to illustrate happiness and stones to illustrate hardships.

Unfpa implementing partners from the State Planning Commission Mrs Gladys Dzarma the Director of Technical and Social Services who also represented the Chairman State Planning Commission Engr.  Arin Lutu, unfpa State Coordinator Mr. Daniel Tizhe, representative of Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Mrs Anna Balami, etc. Others include NEMA, ADSEMA etc were in attendance.