STACC ILE-IFE Celebrating 25 Years

It is exactly 25 years since the STACC-supported mobile clinics at Ile-Ife in southwestern Nigeria were established under the direction of Professor Samuel Asaolu, and in March 2024, this was marked by a week of celebrations.  Samuel's excellent account of the celebrations is below:

The anniversary activities commenced with a Zoom meeting on the work of STACC-ILEIFE in January 2024 followed by five days of events from the 11-15 March which included health education campaigns and an anniversary lecture.

The ZOOM meeting at which the work of STACC-ILEIFE was presented by Samuel Asaolu, the Coordinator, was chaired by Phil Cotton, a member of the Board, on Tuesday 9 January. The meeting was joined by important dignitaries who are supporters of STACC’s work and was observed by participants to be informative and successful.

The main stage of the anniversary was undertaken from 11-15 March. Health education was undertaken in some of the clinic communities from Monday to Thursday of that week, and the anniversary lecture was held on Friday 15 March.

Between 11  and 13  March, the clinic team visited three of our clinic communities, Kajola, Edunabon and Ijebu-jesa respectively, to promote Health Education and an awareness campaign. At each community, Samuel Asaolu addressed the women first, to educate them about the objective of our visit, which was to remind them that STACC-ILEIFE has been providing health care services for the children in Osun State for some 25 years and the need to appreciate our sponsors (STACC) for their generosity. The mothers were met at the usual clinic sites in each community.

This was followed by Health Education on childcare by the nurses and doctors in the team. Two of the midwives in our team, Mrs A. Dupe Akinbusuyi and Mrs G.M. Oyedele, addressed the mothers at Kajola on Monday where about 70 women were present with their children. Mrs F.T. Ajirotutu, a midwife and Dr O. Bamgboye-Taiwo, educated the mothers at Edunabon on Tuesday and about 55 mothers attended. The midwives, Mrs A. Awotayo and Mrs G.M. Oyedele, talked to over 70 women who met us at Ijebu-jesa on Wednesday on various aspects of childcare. The Paramount Head of Ijebu-jesa, Kabiyesi Oba Elegboro of Ijebu-jesa, joined us at the Town Hall clinic centre to show his appreciation for our work and advised the women to take full advantage of our services.

On Thursday 14 March, the STACC-ILEIFE clinic team visited the Trumpeters Orphanage at Ajebandele, and the Destiny Helpers Children Ministry at Eleyele. Samuel Asaolu informed the proprietresses, Mrs Deborah Olukemi Ayoola, and Mrs Bola Ajayi, about the objectives of STACC and STACC-ILEIFE and the services being rendered in Ile-Ife. Some food items and sanitary materials were delivered to the proprietresses, who appreciated our gestures.

On leaving the second motherless babies home, the clinic team travelled to Erin-Ijesa where we were welcomed by the mothers, together with the Deputy of the Paramount Head of the community, Chief J.O. Ajimotokin, the Babarisa of Erin-Ijesa, and the Community Women’s Leader, Mrs F.C. Gbonjubola, who both rejoiced with STACC-ILEIFE on the 25^th anniversary and thanked us for the health care being rendered to their children. The team was then joined by the hosts to visit the Olumirin Waterfall on the outskirts of the town before returning to Ile-Ife.

The 25^th Anniversary celebrations were concluded on Friday 15 March by some events held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife campus. Up to 60 mothers, at least five from each clinic community, and their children (and some of the fathers), were present at the ceremony. The occasion was attended by important university officials including the representative of the University Vice Chancellor, the Director of Institute of Public Health, and the Head of the Department of Zoology. The Chairman was a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University.

All the current and many of the past staff of STACC-ILEIFE attended the meeting. Samuel Asaolu gave a brief presentation of the work of STACC-ILEIFE. After this, the Anniversary Lecture entitled “Itoju Awon Omode Ni Iru Asiko Bayi” (in English: Care of the Children at a Time Like This), was delivered by A.A. Onayade, a distinguished Professor in the Department of Community Health. He delivered his talk in Yoruba, the local language, and English so that all the mothers present could be carried along. This was followed by a talk on feeding for the child after child weaning, presented by a retired midwife, Mrs M.G. Oyedele.

Certificates of appreciation of service (signed by Professor John Briggs, the Chair of STACC Board) were issued to each of the past and present members of staff of STACC-ILEIFE. The mothers from each clinic community either presented a speech, rendered a song or a short drama to express their gratitude to STACC-ILEIFE for the health care being delivered to their children. The event was also run on Zoom and many friends of the clinic were able to view the events live.