….Forced to deliver babies during captivity
…Escaped to IDP camp
…Now volunteers as midwife, helping displaced women
In this piece, our reporter Blessing Bature analyses the selfless work of a former Boko Haram captive whose selfless work has reduced maternal and infant mortality rates, empowered women with reproductive health knowledge and fostered hope and dignity among IDP communities,
In the midst of displacement and uncertainty, a remarkable story of resilience and compassion emerges, as an unschooled midwife has made a profound impact on the lives of over 5000 pregnant Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria.
A midwife, popularly known as Aunty Dada, an untrained yet skilled midwife who has dedicated her life to providing critical maternal healthcare to vulnerable IDPs.
Despite lacking formal education, Aunty Dada has delivered over 5000 babies, provided prenatal and postnatal care to hundreds of women, battled limited resources and infrastructure.
With no formal training, Dada learned midwifery skills through apprenticeship and hands-on experience. Her dedication and natural talent have saved countless lives.
Sharing her ordeal, she said she learnt the work when she was captured by Boko-Haram and was forced to deliver several women in the camps. She saw herself working, delivering women day and night without resting.
During her captivity, she was forced to deliver babies for kidnapped women and wives of Boko Haram militants. Despite the traumatic circumstances, she successfully helped these women and their babies survive.
Overwhelmed by the constant demands, she became exhausted. Seeking refuge, she escaped to the IDP camp and began volunteering her skills to help fellow displaced women.
Through her harrowing experience, she discovered her passion for midwifery and now selflessly provides vital care to internally displaced women.
This inspiring story highlights the need for increased support for informal healthcare providers, access to quality education and training and improved healthcare infrastructure for IDPs.
Dada’s remarkable journey inspires us to address the pressing healthcare needs of vulnerable populations.
Explaining the situation of the IDPs, Aunty Dada maternity home said, she has managed the maternity room for 10 years, delivering women and children. “Sometimes, over 120 women give birth here in a month. If I’m not available, women may die due to delays. I’ve been doing this work for years, even performing operations.”
“A woman once came to me after being rejected by the hospital. She had no money, so I helped her. I’ve delivered many babies, and people come to me from all over, even from Igbo. If a woman has had three or four operations, she’ll still come to me.
“I don’t charge fees, and I provide free services. Some women give me 10,000 or 15,000 naira for operations, but I use that money to buy food. I’ve helped over 50,000 women.
“Now, I need the government’s help. I need support for my work, especially with equipment and resources. The hospital here is small, with only one room, and women often give birth on the floor.
“I’m asking the government to assist me with equipment and resources, a bigger, better-equipped facility, and financial support to enable us to continue helping women and children in the community.
Speaking, Special Adviser, Health and Stakeholder Management to the Commissioner, NCFRMI, Dr Fatimah Abdullahi said the Medical Outreach program is crucial for IDPs, as they lack financial resources to access healthcare.
She said in Nigeria, most healthcare services are out-of-pocket expenses, and IDPs are not covered by health insurance.
According to her, “upon visiting this Kabusa IDP camp, we discovered that a traditional birth attendant, TBA, was handling deliveries, despite lacking proper training and skills.
“So we came to this camp and realized there’s one particular traditional birth attendant that attends to the births in this community. Unfortunately, most traditional birth attendants that we know are unskilled, semi literate or even illiterate. So they are not skilled enough to take delivery without complications. So that is what we found here”
She noted the mental health challenges faced by the communities, adding that the Humanitarian Affairs Commission will provide psychosocial support to adults and children.
“To address this, the Humanitarian Affairs Commission, HAC, is committed to establishing a fully-equipped medical facility, providing access to skilled birth attendants and training TBAs for referral and danger sign identification. This falls under HAC’s ‘Health Without Borders’ initiative, focusing on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) malnutrition prevention for children under 5, maternal and Child Health, MCH, and psychosocial support for IDPs, refugees, and migrants
“So one of the things that the HFC has committed to is ensuring that a proper medical health facility is placed here, so that these women get access to skilled birth attendants, and then the traditional birth attendants can then be used for things like referral and identification of danger signs in pregnancy And then referring to these health facilities.”
She said that the commission is ready to collaborate with International NGOs for family planning services, provide supplement provision to combat malnutrition,
She added that family planning services will be integrated into the medical facilities, ensuring access to reproductive healthcare for women in these communities.
“But overall, the Honorable federal commissioners strategy is under a pillar called health without borders. So health without borders looks at several different things. It looks at water, sanitation and hygiene. It looks at malnutrition for children under five. It looks at pregnant women, Maternal and Child Health generally, and psychosocial support.
“So because you know a lot of these IDPs and refugees, migrants faced very difficult conditions, violence, displacements, and the rest of them, they have challenges, like mental health challenges, so they require psychosocial support.
“Our outreach program bridges this gap by providing free medical services, Identifying and treating manageable cases and referring severe cases to specialized hospitals for further care,” she said.
To celebrate Nigeria at 64th which coincided with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, on Tuesday conducted a medical outreach program at the Kabusa Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp in Abuja, the initiative aimed to provide essential healthcare services to vulnerable individuals.
The Commissioner, NCFRMI, Tijani Aliyu Ahmed at the occasion to mark independent day commemoration with IDPs and flag-off distribution of food items at the Kabusa IDPs camp said the outreach was to improve the health and well-being of IDPs, addressing the critical need for accessible healthcare services.
According to him, this was to establish sustainable healthcare solutions, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and to enhance IDPs’ quality of life.
According to him, “This medical outreach demonstrates the commission’s commitment to supporting vulnerable populations and promoting healthcare access for all.”
He said, “beyond providing medical outreach, food, and clothing, they’re focusing on empowering IDPs through skill acquisition and training programs. The commission aims to provide durable solutions, not just temporary fixes.”
Ahmed explained that the commission is also working to establish settlement cities and provide land for farming projects in states like Nasarawa, Borno, and Plateau. Their goal is to teach IDPs how to “catch fish,” not just rely on aid.
“The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, is working to support IDPs in Nigeria through various initiatives. One such program is in Nasarawa State, Borno, and Plateau, where they aim to cultivate 1000 hectares of land to provide sustainable livelihoods for IDPs. This project is a collaboration between the commission and the Minister of Agriculture”.
“To address healthcare needs, the commission plans to establish a mini-clinic specifically for diabetes care in Kabusa and Wasa. This decision was made after identifying the need for better healthcare services during a visit to Kabusa”.
“The commission has also built a settlement city for IDPs and is working to evacuate them to the nearest center. Education is another key area of focus, with primary schools established in Wasa and plans to build another in Kabusa”.
“The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons is taking proactive steps to support IDPs in Nigeria. To prevent children from roaming aimlessly and potentially getting into trouble, the commission has established primary schools in Wasa and plans to open another in Kabusa. This initiative ensures that children receive education and training, setting them on a positive path, he informed.
“The commission’s core mandate includes protecting and maintaining IDPs, refugees, and migrants, which is a federal government responsibility. To achieve this, they’re focusing on skill acquisition centers in six geopolitical zones. In fact, they’ll soon launch the Skilled Acquisition Center for the North Central zone in Niger State”.
By providing education and skills training, the commission aims to empower IDPs, especially children, to build better futures. This holistic approach addresses the needs of vulnerable populations, ensuring they receive support beyond just basic necessities.
Speaking, Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas said, “as we celebrate Nigeria’s Independence Day and my birthday, I chose to spend it with you, acknowledging the struggles you face. I want to express gratitude for your patience, support, and faith in our government.
“We recognize the hardships and challenges you endure, and we’re committed to addressing them. Poverty alleviation remains a top priority. We will do everything possible to bring relief and hope to your lives”.
Our government is not detached from your reality. We see your struggles, feel your sadness, and understand your sorrow. We will work tirelessly to provide sustainable solutions to poverty, improve living conditions and enhance access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
