During the Summer of 2006, our organization entered into a long-term capacity building and Community Development project with Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria. We held a two weeks Community Health Care seminars at the University campus for the medical staff of the University and the staff of the University Teaching Hospital, Aba. We also held educational seminars for the educational staff and the students of education and a four days seminar on Insights on Leadership for the senior and junior administrative non teaching staff of the University. During the summer project it was very obvious that we should enter into a long-term capacity building with the University so as to make a lasting impact not only among the University staff and its students, but within the surrounding communities of the University and in fact the State and the entire country of Nigeria. We agreed that the University Medical Centre should be upgraded into a University Hospital, continue the leadership development program and provide humanitarian supplies that would handed over to the poor, the motherless, the orphans, the outcasts and the ostracized within the surrounding communities. The humanitarian project is something unconventional especially for a State University Institution. By this last fall 2006 we shipped a 40' container of medical, educational and humanitarian equipment and goods to the University. The container cleared Nigerian customs December 18, 2006 and the following day the goods were unloaded at the villa of the Vice Chancellor of the University and the various departments - medical, educational, library, and works were there to receive equipment and supplies. The humanitarian goods are still being distributed and the report will be included in our next update. |
