AWKA – As Anambra Red Cross Movement commemorates the birth of its founder, Jean Henry Dunant, its chairman Professor Mrs. Charity Ifeyinwa Emelie has listed areas of achievements of the movement and asked Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for more assistance to overcome its many challenges.
Presenting her address at the Red Cross headquarters in Amawbia, Emelie said that as it moto: ‘Through Humanity to Peace’ indicted, the movement has in its operations kept hope alive for the poor and vulnerable and had prevented and alleviated human suffering wherever it may be found.
Highlights of the activities of the movement shows that it achieved a lot in flood prone areas of Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Awka North and other parts of the state.
In these areas, Prof Emelie said, the movement first assessed the situations, danger and level of vulnerability within the communities.
Apart from sharing food items she said, Red Cross also distributed non food items like hygiene kits, farmer’s kits, and shelter kits to thousands of affected people the areas mentioned.
Distribution of raw cash was also involved in an instance when Red Cross distributed N61,000.00 to 1,500 Households affected by flood.
Apart from these, Prof. Emelie continued, such communities benefitted from free first aide training, first aid kits to schools, stakeholders and partners as well as non consumable clinical materials to 11 selected health centres.
More than these, Radio programmes, monthly workshops to sensitize people and promotion of hygiene in schools and communities through WASH programmes.
The Red Cross said it registered at least 16 school children in Nnewi and Onitsha, reconstructed and rehabilitated Red Cross Homes at Onitsha and Nnewi, renovated the state headquarters, renovated dilapidated vehicles and so on.
Prof. Emelie said when she came into office five months ago, she met seven months of unpaid salary and has been able to pay four months and has been paying Staff salary as and when due.
On Valentine day the movement fed hundreds of vulnerable people. She has also reactived “divisions that were dead and sleeping” and reformed its national ŕegistration and production of National ID cards, the first of its kind in the state.
Prof. Emelie lamented that Red Cross in Anambra State is having many challenges and called on Governor Soludo to come to her aid.
She said the state headquarters has no pipe borne water, facilities at Onitsha and Nnewi are old, has dilapidated vehicles among other things#
Prof. Emelie delivering her address at the occasion
