Transforming Communities in South-West Nigeria: Our AirUp Journey
Rewinding to February, we embarked on a journey to improve medical healthcare solutions and delivery in Africa. This involved the supply of medical oxygen to rural and underserved communities in Nigeria. Together with our partners, HealthPort Africa, we have reached over 15 communities in the South-West alone. Our journey was filled with insightful experiences, thoughtful memories, challenges and fulfilling moments. As we look back at our accomplishments, testimonials and milestones, we also share lessons we learned.
Exploring Villages and Understanding Challenges
Our research team conducted extensive fieldwork, visited rural villages and organized in-depth interviews with community members. This approach enabled us to gain a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced in underserved communities and areas like Tejoun, Ita-Oniyan and a host of others.
The challenges included limited access to quality healthcare services and health education. By listening to the stories and experiences of community members, we identified key themes and patterns that informed our outreach strategy and program development.
When we had to go around the villages, interviewing villagers and observing their environment, it was a fun and enlightening experience. Hearing their life stories and understanding the problems they faced provided us with invaluable insights. I’ve always loved a saying from Tunde Onakoya; “We can do great things from small places.”
— Miss Funmilayo Sopade, Former Assistant Director, PMI Network, Ile-Ife on the AirUp experience.
The Role of AirUp in Community Development
AirUp has played a crucial role in the holistic development of underserved communities, by addressing fundamental needs and empowering individuals through health education, quality healthcare services and the provision of medical oxygen to these marginalized areas. Our mission extended beyond mainly providing medical oxygen, which according to the World Health Organization is 93% pure. Our journey also spanned across maintaining sustainable growth and development within the marginalized communities in Nigeria.
As a public health practitioner, I was able to contribute to AirUp in the southwestern region by training dedicated volunteers on essential medical checkups, including blood pressure, BMI, Hepatitis B, Malaria, blood sugar and HIV. Together, we provided basic healthcare services for the communities.
— Mr Simeon Ajayi, Public health practitioner and PMI’s Photographer
Partnerships with HealthPort Africa and our hospital partners have been crucial in amplifying our impact. By aligning our efforts with their health initiatives, we have been able to extend our reach and resources, ensuring that more underserved communities benefit from our Projects and initiatives. Understanding the challenges that these communities face has helped us to tailor our programs effectively and work with other healthcare organizations for a lasting impact.
Besides health education, we have also contributed to improving the healthcare infrastructure of underserved communities including Ilisan, Oluode, Ayepe and a host of others. This included setting up temporary clinics, providing essential medical supplies, and ensuring that community health workers were trained and equipped to handle basic health issues.
Overcoming challenges
Our team faced numerous challenges from fundraising to dealing with language barriers. Yet as Miss Tife, PMI’s Project manager noted, “Managing and coordinating large groups of people, logistics issues, and uncooperative drivers were just a tad among the obstacles we faced. But we overcame them through teamwork, quick thinking and creative thinking. As we approach other regions soon, we’re anticipating cultural and language barriers, hence we’re calling for volunteers in these regions.
Another significant challenge was managing time effectively, as different team members operated on different spectrums of time management. “We overcame this by having debriefs at the end of each day, delegating duties to each member, and dividing into groups,” Healthport’s team lead, Miss Odunayo explained. This contributed to a high rate of productivity from team members and satisfaction from community members.
The enthusiasm and eagerness of the community members to receive healthcare services and modern healthcare education were inspiring. By building quality relationships with community members, we were easily able to navigate our way through the cultural differences.
Our Achievements!
Personal Achievements
- Personally, the events made me harness my social skills through meeting new people and getting to hear their unique stories gave me all the motivation that I need to be a better person in life generally. I gained more insights about research and how community mapping can be done effectively. — Miss Odunayo, Team lead, HealthPort Africa.
- Gaining insights from the community members, and listening to their life experiences was a fun moment for me. — Miss Funmilayo Sopade, Former Assistant Director PMI Network, Ile-Ife.
- Being part of the outreach and engaging community members in their health. — Mr. Ire, Clinical Support Officer, HealthPort Africa.
Team Achievements
- Extending our reach to Tejoun village in Ogun State was a notable achievement for us as Tejoun was the most remote of all the underserved areas that we visited! Providing medical care and attention to a community that had no access to electricity or a nearby hospital is a remarkable feat. The fact that the villagers were overjoyed to have our team present, bringing hope and relief, speaks volumes about the impact of your work. — Miss Tife, Project Manager, Pioneer Medical Initiative.
- The team conducted a highly successful health outreach program, providing medical care and services to over 200 community members. We also recorded no loss of life, a testament to our team's dedication and the result of good planning and execution. — Mr. Ire, Clinical Support Officer, Healthport Africa.
Conclusion
The joy that comes with making a difference in underserved communities is unmatched, with every moment in the outreach being a memorable one. Despite the challenges, our AirUp experience has reinforced our commitment to revolutionizing healthcare delivery in Africa.
As we continue our journey to the South-South and North-Central; we remain committed to sustaining impact through our initiatives and are calling for volunteers in these regions. Volunteers in these regions will be critical in easing the challenges of language and cultural barriers.
If you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, we encourage you to volunteer with us at Pioneer Medical Initiative. Your time, skills and commitment can help expand our reach and deepen our impact. For more information follow this link and join us in transforming underserved and marginalized communities.
