Foundation Enrolls 100 Persons into ASHIA, Empowers 30 Youths in Anambra Community

By Praise Chinecherem

To promote quality healthcare and improve life expectancy in his community, Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Charles Kene Ojukwu Initiative Foundation, CKOIF, has enrolled about one hundred people, including men and women of 50 years and above as well as expectant mothers, into the State Health Insurance Scheme (ASHIA).

This is in line with Dr. Charles Kene Ojukwu’s vision to promote quality healthcare and improve life expectancy in his community, Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The Foundation’s and Canada-based medical consultant, is known with his traditional title of Okunenyeife chukwu munyelu n’Abatete.

Ojukwu, through the foundation, also donated over a million naira for the empowerment of 28 youths in the community in the skills of hair dressing and barbing.

This will be anchored by the town union, Abatete Development Organization, led by Ichie Ezebinobi Nwadike leadership.

At the event held in Orofia, Ogbu village Hall Abatete, the Manager of CKOIF, Mr. Sylvester Ojiugo, urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of health tips they got at the event.

He also noted that the youths will be supported by the foundation to start businesses of their own after acquiring relevant skills.

Ojiugo explained, “Health is wealth, and that’s why our foundation is reducing costs of accessing quality healthcare services for Abatete people.

“Youths are also lacking focus in the present-day society, so the foundation is sponsoring people to learn one skill or the other for self-reliance.

“They will also be empowered to start their own businesses after acquiring a skill.”

“We are hoping that in the nearest future, the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme will become employers of labor”.

Corroborating the statement, the elder brother to the benefactor, Chief Chinedu Ojukwu said the CKOIF-sponsored youth empowerment and health interventions captures people from different parts of the community.

“The health insurance program and youth empowerment are aimed at assisting the indigent in the four quarters in Abatete – Nsukwu, Odida, Agbaja and Ogbu, as well as non-indigenes resident in the community”.

On behalf of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA enrollment Team, Mr Izuchukwu Ogbaji, said the new enrollees will start benefitting from the health program from 1st November after necessary processes and production of ID cards.

“Rising cost of healthcare services makes people avoid going to hospital and resort to self-help.

“Since 2018, a lot of people have been testifying that ASHIA is working. It is not politics. It is real.

“We, therefore, commend CKOi foundation for promoting good health and well-being in Abatete community (SDG 3).”

A pensioner and one of the beneficiaries of the health insurance programme, Mrs Theresa Ekpunobi testified of benefits of the ASHIA programme during her active service year.

She thanked the Foundation for giving her the opportunity to benefit from the initiative as a retiree.

On his part, Mr Innocent Oraeki, appreciated the organization for making quality healthcare services available to them at no cost.

“We have been hearing of ASHIA, but we couldn’t benefit because of the money involved, but he made it easy for us, and we thank him”

The founder of CKOi Foundation, Dr. Charles Kenechukwu Ojukwu, disclosed his inspiration and motive for sponsoring the two community development programmes.

He expressed concern that the youths are brainwashed and bribed off to vote for politicians on the basis of immediate and one-off gain, and therefore have no ability or voice to make a change.

“They are at the least ladder of socio-economic development in the state and country.

“Theirs is to depend on what is dished by the government with no ability or voice to make a change.

“They are brainwashed and bribed off to vote for politicians on the basis of immediate one off bread bribe to vote-buy”.

Listing other humanitarian services they are involved in, the benefactor said that the aim is to drive it to the conscience of the people to reach for what they truly deserve.

It is also to demonstrate; based on their little capacity, the basic minimum socio-economic framework that will benefit them.

“For instance CKOi Foundation caters for over 50 young people from primary to secondary schools and also over 25 tertiary students tuition fees.

“We are enrolling this first set for health insurance, we are involved in community empowerment schemes sponsoring fully the community skills acquisition program in the area of hair dressing and barbing skills.

“The foundation is also supporting the beneficiaries to set up their own businesses, becoming financially self-sufficient to take in other youths to impact value in a cascade pattern”.

It is projected that CKOi Foundation initiatives will positively impact the health and human development indices of Anambra State and Nigeria.