FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
No fewer than 40,000 patients across Edo, Delta, Kogi and Bayelsa States have benefited from the Rural Health Initiatives for Improved Living, RHIFIL, free medical services in the last 16 years.
President of the organisation, Reverend Josephine Kpere-Daibo, disclosed this during a two-day free medical outreach held in Benin City.
She noted that RHIFIL had consistently provided free healthcare services for 16 years, delivering health and hope to the needy, displaced and less privileged in the society.
According to Kpere-Daibo, RHIFIL had successfully impacted lives through various initiatives, including scholarships and rehabilitation for vulnerable and marginalised individuals.
She noted that other forms of support include empowerment, free surgeries, medication, material aid, food supplies, shelter and clothing to the underprivileged across rural and urban areas.The reason for this initiative is simply to give health and hope to the needy.
“I was once rejected and hopeless, but grace found me. I now put smiles on faces and extend God’s love through this platform.”
She noted that the organisation is reaching out to the forgotten, the displaced, poor and the vulnerable who are often overlooked in the system.
“Annually, RHIFIL supports at least 2,500 individuals with different forms of medical and humanitarian assistance tailored to meet their specific and urgent needs,” she said.
She added that the target this July is to reach and support 1,500 individuals across multiple communities with essential health and humanitarian aid.
She stated that RHIFIL had established a hospital and an annex located in Uroho community, Benin, equipped with doctors, nurses and dedicated volunteers.
“We have facilitated numerous interventions, including eye surgeries, free antenatal services, routine check-ups and other crucial treatments for underserved populations,” she explained.
Speaking on ongoing projects, Kpere-Daibo said RHIFIL had executed multiple grassroots medical outreaches across nearly all rural and urban communities in Edo.
She said RHIFIL also collaborated with Ugbajo Itsekiri USA Association to carry out three medical outreaches in Itsekiri-speaking communities in Delta State in 2024.
“We built a modern health center and constructed 30-unit toilet and bathroom facilities for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Benin.
“These facilities include 15 units each for boys and girls, ensuring dignity and hygiene for displaced individuals, especially women and children. We also installed a solar power system for uninterrupted electricity and a generator to power the borehole and supply clean water to the clinic.
“Additionally, we donated clothing and medicines to IDPs with the support of our partners, helping to restore dignity and health to many families.”
According to her, RHIFIL’s mission is to restore the total health and dignity of every human body, soul and spirit, especially those in dire need.
Beneficiaries expressed joy and gratitude, and offered prayers for the sustainability of RHIFIL, describing the programme as a vital lifeline to the vulnerable poor.
Mrs Florence Oluwajobi, a patient and beneficiary, described the outreach as life-saving and timely, noting that it provided care at a time when she had no access to healthcare.
She expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying RHIFIL’s intervention gave her hope and treatment when she could not afford to visit a hospital.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Caroline Okereke, said she had suffered from a leg sore for months but was unable to seek treatment due to financial constraints. This programme came just in time. I am thankful and I pray it continues so that others like me can also get help,” Okereke said.
