RIvers: Rotary Clubs Donates Phototherapy Machine to Rundele Health Center, trains, gifts Traditional Birth Attendants Delivery Kits in Rundele Community,
By Rtn Precious Ahiakwo
In a remarkable show of unity and service, five Rotary Clubs under Rotary International District 9141 came together to deliver a high-impact maternal and child health project in Rundele, a rural community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
The initiative, held at the Model Primary Health Centre, Rundele, brought essential medical equipment, delivery kits, and public health education to a population often underserved.
The clubs involved in the project were:
Rotary Club of Abuloma, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt GRA,
Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Phoenix,
Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan, and Rotary Club of Port Harcourt North.
The Rotary Clubs donated a phototherapy machine, the first ever for the Rundele Health facility, to treat newborn jaundice.
In addition, delivery kits, and insecticide-treated mosquito nets were given to Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and antenatal mothers. A training session on safe delivery techniques and emergency response was also conducted for the TBAs by a renowned, and retired Midwife Mrs Stella Ohaekwe.
“We’re not only donating equipment,” said Dr. Ovunda Omodu, President of the Rotary Club of Abuloma. “We are investing in knowledge, access, and sustainability. Rotary is here to serve those who would otherwise be left behind.”
The highlight of the event was the inauguration of the Rotary Community Corps (RCC) of Rundele, a grassroots structure that will monitor and sustain Rotary’s interventions in the community. Regional Rotary image Coordinator RPIC, PAG Ibim Seminitari, performed the inauguration and explained its significance.
“Our Rotary Community Corps are our foot soldiers,” Seminitari said. “They will help track compliance, support immunization campaigns, and report local needs to Rotary clubs so that our impact is not a one-time event but a continuous legacy.”
Patterson Ogon, President of Rotary Club of PH GRA, stressed the urgency of the intervention: “There are communities like Rundele all over Nigeria that are forgotten. This project is about restoring dignity and saving lives. Every mother deserves to give birth safely, regardless of where she lives.”
Okoroha Lilian Chidinma, President of Rotary Club of PH Phoenix, spoke about the importance of educating TBAs. “Many of these women are respected caregivers, but they’ve lacked training for decades. Today, we’ve equipped them with tools and knowledge. That’s real empowerment.”
Iwo Edward-Pepple, President of Rotary Club of PH Cosmopolitan, shared a touching personal story. “Two years ago, my driver told me how his uncle’s twins died during childbirth in this same community. One of the twins was alive, but they didn’t take care of him because the second hadn’t come out yet. That pain moved me. I called my fellow presidents and said: ‘Let’s unite for good.’ Today, I believe we’ve done just that and I also believe my driver will be happy wherever he is now..”
Babafemi Adegbite, President of Rotary Club of PH North, emphasized policy-level impact. “This isn’t just charity. We’ll document this model and present it to the Rivers State Government to adopt, just like in Lagos where TBAs are formally integrated into public healthcare. We must protect mothers and babies with systemic solutions.”
The Traditional Birth Attendants were visibly elated as they received free delivery kits, which included gloves, antiseptics, cord clamps, and sterile instruments.
For many, it was their first time accessing modern delivery tools and receiving formal guidance.
“We feel seen and supported,” said one of the TBAs. “Before now, we were working with our bare hands and little knowledge. Today, Rotary has shown us that we matter. With these kits and the training we’ve received, we can now work safer, for ourselves and for the mothers we care for.”
Another TBA, added: “We’ve learned things we never knew before, how to recognize danger signs, how to keep everything clean, and when to refer to the hospital. This knowledge will save lives, and we’re grateful.”
The matron of the facility, Ugwulash Ifeoma, offered heartfelt gratitude to the Rotary team. “There were babies we couldn’t save because we had no phototherapy machine. But today, Rotary has changed that. God used them to bring light to this facility.”
Community leaders and residents also joined in prayers and thanksgiving, visibly moved by the scale and sincerity of the intervention.