The Partnership
Beacon of Hope Initiative is a faith-based non-governmental organization in Nigeria. They are currently implementing a project tagged “Improving Maternal Newborn and Child Health” in Sanga LGA, Kaduna State. We partnered with them because of our shared passion to train Volunteer Health Workers. The training focused on how to administer, distribute, record and store Vitamin A and Albendazole supplements. These supplements are mainly for children, between 6-59 months, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
The multivitamins contain Vitamin A, B1, B2, B12, C, D3, E, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, and Selenium, all in one tablet. These are the essential micronutrients needed for proper growth and development of babies. However, we didn’t have to buy any of these supplements. Because they were provided, free of charge, by another partnering company – Vitamin Angels.
Training the Volunteers
The training took place from the 29th-31st October of 2019 in Sanga LGA secretariat, Gwantu, Kaduna State. 26 participants were in attendance. The participants were all health workers from various primary health centres and hospitals in Sanga LGA, Kaduna state. The students learned the importance of Vitamin A and Albendazole. They watched a demonstration video on how to administer them and had hands-on practicals on how to do it. Afterwards, we discussed strategies for distribution of Vitamin A and Albendazole and Multivitamins.
The multivitamins for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers contains the entire nutrient they will need while pregnant and during breastfeeding. A bottle contains 180 capsules which means it can last up to 6 months! A carton of the multivitamins contains 189 bottles and each tin contains 500 Vitamin A capsules, both blue and red coloured. We gave a carton of the Multivitamins and 8 tins of Vitamin A supplements to The Beacon of Hope Initiative. They, in turn, gave these to the health workers for onward distribution in their various communities.
Distribution
Finally, to end the training, children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers from Gwantu Community and environs converged at Sanga LGA secretariat, Gwantu. They all received the supplements for free. The health workers, under our supervision, distributed the supplements in Sanga LGA secretariat, Gwantu. 50 children (within 6 months to 5 years), 41 children (6 years and above), 9 pregnant women and lactating mothers benefitted from the exercise. The volunteer health workers will continue the distribution in their communities and in neighbouring communities. This will help in further improving maternal, newborn and child health in Nigeria.
Fantastic Feedback!
As a result, Mrs Halima Abdullahi, a 20 years old pregnant woman, was one of the beneficiaries of the multivitamins for pregnant and lactating mothers. She said, “I thank CBN Africa, Beacon of Hope initiative and Vitamin Angels for making the medicine available to me and members of my community. I am grateful.” Another, Mrs Aisha Ahmed, the mother of a six months old girl, Kadiza Ahmed, said, “I am excited that my daughter is benefitting from the Vitamin A supplement and after four months I can go again to our health centres and to collect it. Thank you, CBN Africa, Beacon of Hope Initiative and Vitamin Angels for bringing it to our community.”
The participants were grateful for the opportunity to learn about Vitamin A and Albendazole administration and distribution. They were happy that the children in their communities will have their immunities boosted. None of these would have been possible without the faithful commitment of you, our partners! Partner with us today by clicking this link.
