Nigeria Aiyenigba Eugenia Fashima
You always have to be willing to go the extra mile to help others and show them that there is hope.
Where My Career Began
I have worked on several humanitarian and development projects throughout Nigeria. This includes the Hard to Reach (HTR) programme that provides medical support within hard-to-reach communities. We gave antenatal care and vaccines to pregnant women and babies under 11 months who received their routine immunisations and nutritional supplements of Vitamin A. We also educated children and adults on water sanitation and hygiene.
There was a time when there was a measles outbreak within schools, and I worked to spread the message on the importance of getting the measles vaccine. Many people, including teachers and parents, were hesitant and rejected it as there were rumours about the safety of the vaccine.
There was also an outbreak of Circulating Mutant Polio and during this time I supported a team in Borno, Jigawa, Sokoto and Delta States to ensure every child is vaccinated with drops of Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV). A micro plan was drawn up and we walked through the community giving these drops to children and babies as well as their caregivers. I have been working on Polio projects for 10 years and continue to do so for CTG.
Shifting Mindsets & Embracing Change
A while ago many rumours were going around that monkeypox was among us and there was an apparent vaccine for it, but it was not safe. The team and I visited schools and educated the principal and teachers on the vaccine so that they could understand the importance of it and educate the parents as well. To this day, the school still calls and demands vaccinations in their schools.
What It Takes To Work In The Humanitarian Field
To work as a Polio/Routine Immunisation Facilitator, you must continuously train to acquire new skills and knowledge to provide aid to people who need it. You need to have a listening ear and a helping hand and be able to bring everyone on board to ensure that children get good health care and are protected from all vaccine-preventable diseases. We also must make sure pregnant mothers make it to full term and both mother and baby are alive and well. You always have to be willing to go the extra mile to help others and show them that there is hope.
My Hope For The Future Of Nigeria
I hope my country will continue with good leadership that will bring positive energy and development in all aspects of living such as education, health, infrastructure, and the improvement of the economy.
