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The Nigerian Army Officer Wives Association (NAOWA) has underscored the need for women in the Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) camps to observe family planning for improved family life.
Members of NAOWA expressed the concern when they visited some women in Durumi IDPs camp, in Abuja on Monday with some relief materials to commemorate the 2022 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.
According to them, family planning is central to gender equality and women’s empowerment is a key factor in reducing poverty.
The wife of the Military Secretary, Mrs Maryam Abdussalam, said that the association would engage some medical doctors who would educate the women in IDPs camps on effective family planning.
Abdussalam said that controlling the number of children individuals or couples have as well as spacing and timing of their births would help for proper family management.
“We see a lot of children that are being born here and there is no place for recreational activities for them.
“I am going through some emotions seeing the children and the women here; honestly there are a lot that needs to be done.
“We are going to involve some doctors, or corps members to come here and talk to them on what to do,’’ she said.
Earlier, Mrs Asmau Garba the Coordinator, NAOWA, said that the association was built on the principles and norms of Nigerian Army with its motto: “Unity and Charity”.
“On this occasion of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2022, we strive to exemplify this by reaching out to less privileged within and outside our environs.
“Durumi Internally Displaced Persons Camp has been chosen as the reach out location for the less-privileged to commemorate the day.
“To this end, the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association Army Headquarters Garrison is using this medium to empathise with you and extend our hands of fellowship,” Garba said.
She said that this was to also encourage the women not to give up on themselves.
On behalf of the women, Mrs Liyatu Ayuba, Women leader, IDPs camp Durumi, appreciated the leadership of NAOWA and her team for the kind gesture.
Ayuba, who is also a traditional birth attendant, while appreciating God for their lives said that she had helped the women to deliver about 218 children in the camp.
She said that they have spent about nine years in the camp.
“We have 13 groups and we are 300 in all. We are just managing our lives because we are not in our homes, our children don’t go to good schools because of our condition.
“We are very happy because of the women organisation that came to our camp today.
“We are happy because we have been thinking of the Sallah celebration and how to celebrate it without food but here they have brought enough food to us,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association donated about 30 bags of rice and other food items including toiletries to the women in the IDPs camp.(NAN)
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