.Lack social amenities, such as hospital which makes their women suffer during childbirth.
By Zainab Tanimu, Kaduna, Northwest, Nigeria.
Keffin Gwari, Kaduna community is less than thirty minutes drive from kawo in Igabi local government area of Kaduna state but lacks all the social amenities, not a single clinic was sited in the community.
Keffin Gwari community has been in existence for the past hundred years with less than five hundred people with mild houses and the kaduna state government is yet to provide essential services to meet the diverse needs of their residents and to drive progress on many development measures.
A visit to the community by participants in the immersion field trip to Keffin Gwari close to Turkish School shows that the community urgently needs government attention for development to take place.
In an interview with the Community head Mai Ungwa Keffin Gwari Ali told the journalists, that the community has not felt the impact of the present government.
Mai ungwa Keffin Gwari Danjuma Ali said they lack social amenities such as hospital which makes their women suffer during childbirth.
According to him, “In this community no body has a car only bike which we use in carrying our women to rigachikun before getting a car to Kawo, for antenatal care and delivery”.
He said that the women in the community find it extremely challenging Visiting hospital for antenatal care or during childbirths..
The Mai ungwa said that because of the challenges being faced by their women led to twenty women suffering from Visco Virginia Fistula (VVF) the leakage of urine being faced through the virgins due to prolong Labour.
According to him, “presently 20 women are already battling with VVF as a result of prolong Labour during childbirth in the community.
He also stated that women in the community also record incessant miscarriages due to lack of health facilities.
Said he, ”we lack development in this community but hope with the coming of these media team we will get response from the government.
They decried the decay and lack of access road to the nearest PHC which is about 10kilometers to Kawo.
Some of the women who spoke with journalists shared their experiences : Esther Marcus a mother of one said accessing health care in the community is not easy.
“We do not have access to health facilities here but have to go to Kawo for antenatal and delivery.
“The community lacks traditional birth attendants but get assistance from old women with experienced when they want to deliver at home.
” we do not have where to take drugs not even a patient stores in the community for us to take drugs.
“we are grateful we have not recorded lost of any woman during childbirth but children died during delivery.
35 years Jummai Joseph a victim of VVF share her experience that she had VVF when giving birth to her fifth child.
“When I was pregnant I had complications due to prolong labour and was taken to Kawo hospital for delivery, there it was discovered that I had VVF after I was operated and was taken to Gambo Sawaba hospital in Zaria for treatment.
She appealed to the state government to assist the community with health facilities adding that her life has changed since she has the sickness.
“since I became victim of VVF my life has not been the same.
” I gave birth to four children without complications not until the fifth one which led to this and I still loss the child during delivery and spend alot of money for me to be cure .
Solutions – Strengthening Keffin Gwari community:
The state government is the biggest supporter of Keffin Gwari community and the community is begging the state Government for social amenities especially health facilities.
