In Nigeria

Training 100,000 community health workers in Nigeria

Leading newspaper of Nigeria writes about training 100,000 volunteers:  We are now training 100,000 local people, 60% of whom are women, to provide community health. Mr. Ekpeyong Ekpeyong Effiok of JEKSUME has started the training, with 40 trainees per batch. We are proud that more than 60% of attendees are women and teenage girls who want to work and serve their people.

Mr Effiok spoke to the press in Calabar and said that the supplement comes from their partners, Every Infant Matter Association in India and Vitamin Angels based in the USA.

Speaking with news men at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the organizer of the event, Mrs. Benedette Otudor, Vice President Catholic Women Organization of the church urged women to take advantage of the free drugs.

Giving supplements to pregnant women and children in Creek town

Mr. Ekpeyong Ekpeyong Effiok, Director Partnerships Africa for Every Infant Matters, realizes that a system change can be brought about via government support. He has received extensive support from public health officials in the country who believe in his mission.

Our Nigeria team went down the turbulent Calabar river on boats, at great peril to their own lives, carrying health supplies to Creek Town, a small village where health facilities are abysmal. A team of 6 people carried out deworming, health education, supplements to pregnant women, and gave Vitamin A to Under-5 children to prevent irreversible blindness.

Government schools join Vitamin A campaign

NUT Excos, NUT school representatives, Principals, Head Mistresses, Head Masters, parents, teachers, and the general public that the distribution of the free Supplements for women and children by JEKSUME FOUNDATION in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Teacher, Cross River State Chapter, Calabar and in conjunction with The African Church.

All the female teachers, mothers of children, children of the following schools are also expected to show up for their supplements:-

1. Government Secondary School Anantigha
2. Government Secondary School Idang Street
3. Government Primary School, Anantigha
4. The Apostolic Church Primary School, Idang
5. Government Primary School, Efut Abua
6. Saint Mary’s Primary School, Efut Abua
7. Holy Child Convent Pry. Sch. Efut Abua

NUT School representatives, Principals, Head Mistresses and Head Masters of the above schools to spread the news to every pregnant mothers, nursing mothers, child bearing women, adolescent girls (15 years and above), and children (6 to 59 months) to come out and collect this free supplements for a good healthy living.

Health Camps for women and children with HIV/AIDS

We have carried out a series of health camps in Nigeria. Recently, a large scale camp was carried out in Ekori community, Yakurr LGA in Cross River State, Nigeria. More than 2700 pregnant women attended. Each women was gifted a bottle or high quality vitamins. each bottle contained 180 tablets, to last for 6 months of pregnancy.

Ekpenyong Effiok wants to scale the project across Nigeria and replicate in other countries of Africa.14.6 percent of all babies born globally are of low birthweight. They are more likely to die during their first month of life. To grow a healthy baby, mothers need good nutrition, rest, adequate antenatal care, and a clean environment. We provide mothers with the essential prenatal vitamins to support the growth and development of the baby in the womb.

Covid-19 awareness amongst slum dwellers

Mr Effiok is the Founder of Jeksume Foundation, a partner of Every Infant Matters. Jeksume is carrying Covid-19 awareness amongst slum dwellers by carrying out educational and health camps in Calabar and Cross River states. We are imparting key messages of social distancing and wearing masks to thousands of slum dwellers, and have given Vitamin A and Albendazole and prenatal vitamins to children and pregnant women to build their immunity in the pandemic. We have also given food and grocery kits, liquid soap, face masks and sanitizers.  Many of these projects are with support from the One Young World, UK, and other donors, who funded the purchase of the above items.

Jeksume Foundation is now recruiting 100,000 youths online to provide community health at the last mile by effectively cover all the polling units in the country.

We work with compassion and inclusion

Ekpenyong believes in inclusive programs. “Why should we bother about religion or colour? We never do. People matter. Children matter. Its important that children get health. We cannot buy food to feed them all, but just be giving Vitamin A we are able to save our children from going blind. Often our patients are very poor. Yesterday I got a small boy who was severely underweight, he was born small and was doing poorly since birth. Now we are giving Vitamins to all pregnant women in the area so that the babies can be born with better health and adequate weight.”