By Chuks NZEH
Rotary Club Sapphire Abuja has adopted the Damangaza Community in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for Health and education development, stressing its resolve to eradicate polio and ensure decent learning environment in Nigeria.
President the club, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Oramah, made this known at a Press Conference in Abuja, where he stated that the club is poised to join other partners to ensure that Polio is eradicated especially within the Damangaza Community of Abuja.
Oramah posited that, “It is my honour to stand before you today, as we unveil this important community project – a tangible expression of Rotary’s commitment to service above self and to the dignity and wellbeing of every child in our adopted community.
“I want to draw your attention to a global fight that remains a top Rotary priority: polio eradication. This is world Polio month, Rotary Club Abuja Sapphire will hold a major event at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja on the 17th day of October2025. This will be followed by the rotary polio day celebration on the 24th day of October 2025. This event will be led by our able District Governor DAME (Dr.) PRINCESS JOY NKY OKORO.
“Interestingly, District 9127 is hosting this year polio eradication day event in Abuja. We are reminded that the World stands on the brink of history: polio is down by more than 99% approximately since Rotary began its campaign, yet a few lingering cases mean our work is not finished.
“At the Barcelona Hotel gathering we will renew our commitment to the total eradication of polio. Our objectives are clear. to support vaccination efforts that reach every child, to back surveillance and rapid response where cases appear, and to support survivors. In line with our focus on holistic community care, Rotary will also provide wheelchairs and assistive devices for polio survivors and persons with disabilities – practical help that restores mobility, dignity and opportunity.
“When Rotary adopts a community, we make a promise: to listen, to learn, and to act on the priorities of that community. Today’s project responds directly to two urgent needs we encountered during our fact finding visit to our adopted community Damangaza in FCT: safe sanitation and adequate learning environments for pupils.
“First, WASH-water, sanitation, and hygiene. Clean, functioning convinces are not a luxury; they are essential to the health, attendance and dignity of school children. By providing appropriate convince facilities, we reduce disease, improve hygiene practices, and give girls and boys the privacy and safety they deserve. This intervention yields immediate health benefits and long-term educational gains: fewer absences, better concentration, and a safer school environment for all.
“Second, desks and chairs. It is heartbreaking to visit classrooms where pupils sit on the floor, crowd into a few benches, or share a single writing surface. Learning is hindered when children are uncomfortable, cramped, or unable to write properly. Our provision of desks and chairs is more than furniture; it is an intervention which is in line with provision of basic education focus of Rotary.
“These interventions – functioning washrooms and adequate classroom furniture – work hand in hand. Healthy children learn better. Comfortable, respectful learning spaces keep children in school. That is why Rotary Club Sapphire Abuja prioritised these projects for our adopted community schools.
“Let me be unequivocal: Rotary wants the world totally free of polio. We will not relent until the final case is gone, and until those who have suffered from the disease receive the support, they need to lead fuller lives.
“Finally, none of this is possible without partnership. To the school leaders, parents, community volunteers, local authorities, and my fellow Rotarians – thank you. Your collaboration turns plans into projects and projects intoenduring change. I urge everyone here to remain engaged: maintain the facilities we provide, support immunization and disability inclusion efforts, and continue to champion the education and health of our children.
“This month’s event is not an end but a step – a step toward healthier schools, better learning, and a polio-free world. Together, we can and will create brighter, safer futures for the children of this community and beyond.” The President added.
On his part, the Vice President of the club, Rotarian Marcel Ezenwa, observed that some religious beliefs which frown at the vaccination of their children were hindering access to the distribution of vaccines in the rural areas.
Ezenwa however noted that recently the Rotary Club has partnered with Traditional Rulers to sensitise the people and it has given high reception of the polio vaccines and we need more supporters to join us in the sensitisation of the people especially those in the hinterlands to accept the value that Polio Vaccination brings to the life of their children and allow them to benefit.
Also speaking, the immediate past President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Sapphire, Rotarian Obiananma Anne Onwukeme, noted that Rotary International does a lot of work in medical research and Partners with the Bill Gates foundation, in research to develop solutions to health problems especially Polio.
“We do not stop at preventing Polio we also work hard towards improving medications to eradicating the scourge of polio in the world,” she said.
