Rural residents of Kanzo community in the Kuje Area Council of Abuja, the Nigerian capital city have commenced building their healthcare hospital after they were educated on the importance of healthcare, healthy living, community organizing, and advocacy.
The community had no hospital since its existence decades ago. This is even as residents say many women in the community have died during childbirth because there is no hospital in the area to help them for a successful delivery.
Worse still, community residents told MAWA Foundation that during elections, politicians go to the area for votes promising them a good road, hospital, and schools if they vote for them.
But, as soon as the community votes them into office, they disappear and never came back until after four years when they will be seeking election into office, they return to the community and deceive them with more promising and convincing lies.
In educating the community residents by MAWA Foundation, they were educated on human rights exposing them to the understanding that access to healthcare delivery is their fundamental right and they have the responsibility to demand healthcare from the government and hold them accountable to it.
Part of the training for the community is advocacy, lobby, and organizing. However, the residents having gained knowledge on the importance of healthcare started community organizing the led to the building of a community hospital using manual labour and contributing money without the help of the government.
The community elected community representatives who liaised with the local council authority to support the hospital building and help equip it.
The community told MAWA that they cannot wait for government, but rather are organize themselves after gaining the knowledge on the importance of healthcare to build their own hospital using manual labor and community contributions.
