The Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN, has donated and commissioned two bore-wells at Kasape and Gusape communities in Katampe district of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as part of its corporate social responsibility.
In an exclusive chat with Abuja Digest Weekly in his office, Dr. Felix Oisamoje, the Regional Director of CBN Nigeria, revealed that “we exhibit our corporate social responsibility by carrying out humanitarian works. Most people are not aware of this because people immediately conclude that CBN is just a media organization.
However, most of our humanitarian works are targeted at rural communities because that is where the real needs are.
“As a faith-based organization, we are conscious of the fact that hungry, sick people cannot watch the Television. Nobody who has problems watches TV, so in order to encourage people to watch the programs we produce, we need to meet their needs. That is why we sink bore-wells.
We also carry out medical outreaches where we carry out free medical services such as constructing rural clinics. So far, we have constructed over 10 rural clinics, with majority in the FCT since it is where we live. It is much easier for us because of logistics of doing so in a distant place.
In addition, we carry out cataract surgeries, do medical consultations and treatments. We dispense drugs and also do surgeries for children born with cleft lip and cleft palate deformities, all free of charge”, he added.
Ahmadu Diyo, chief of the community, gave a speech after the bore-wells were commissioned in his community. He said, “I thank the Almighty God who has given CBN the grace and the privilege to bring this much anticipated breakthrough to us and will also direct them to those that don’t have. I am referring to the other villages that don’t have boreholes as well.
“We have really suffered a lot because of the fight between our wives who go to fetch water from the stream, the only source of water before today, and the Fulani herdsmen. This was a huge threat to our peace and was really problematic. The quality of the water was not even good, but it still led to conflicts. I always had to settle the scuffles, and I tried my best to sort things out amicably. But after a while the same issue will repeat itself over and over again. At that point however, God answered our everyday cry and prayers, the almighty God has really done it for us. My appreciation is worth nothing to the CBN organization and the people who partnered with the 700 Club to provide this unforgettable help to us.”
For Mary James, a sixteen year old girl in the village, her joy was electrifying. As clean water gushed from the pipe, she knew it was the end of her endless trips across the hills. The trip to fetch water was a sharp descent into the valley, and the water was unclean and unhygienic.
Speaking to Abuja Digest Weekly, she said, “the situation of the river presents us with a lot of challenges. These challenges have made access to water very difficult. Accessing the river requires a steep descend down a hill. It is very difficult and climbing back up with water even more so.
“We fall down a lot. The energy and effort required to perform this task is so demanding that it relegates water fetching to one or two times a week. We get sick because of the effort it takes to get access to potable water. Understandably, we are very grateful for the bore-well that has been constructed for us. This has made things easier for the entire village. Words cannot sufficiently describe how blessed we feel for this action by CBN.”
Reverend John Kalma, the Head of Department Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations, CBN Nigeria, also urged the people to take ownership of the bore-well. He said, “it is our utmost desire to help the less privileged villages. If you want this bore-well to be of help to you, you must cherish it and be mindful of the way you use it.”
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SOURCE: Abuja Digest Weekly (7th – 13th August, 2017).
