She also
stated that there were items to give out to the people, “We have various items,
they include the male condom, the female condom, and we show them how to use
them, most people in the community do not know how to use the female condom, so
we have to open one and show them, to practicalise on how to use it.”
“We also have
other methods, like the billings method, the sayana method, the sayana press,
we give it to them depending on their body weight after checking them by the
nurse or when they have had conversations, depending on the one they go for,”
she further stated.
Speaking on
how receptive the people are to their message of family planning, she said, “Actually
it is a normal thing due to the present economic situation, we are all in the
community and we all know what is going on. So when we go there to mobilise
them, the first thing they will ask is, is it food, is it meat? So we face a
lot of challenges, but at least we are able to mobilise a reasonable number of
them that are willing, because you can’t force them, and once they come and we
talk to them we are good to go.”
Asked if they are actually coming to the
health centre, she said “They are coming, you know in the facility most people
come voluntarily and when they come like that we are eager to accept them, but
in the community we need to talk to them, counsel them before they can even
accept. It is all about spacing your children, some would tell you, it would
not allow them to give birth, they just complain that it has side effects, they
listen to outsiders rather than listen to the health officers, but if we wait
for them at the health centres for them to come, I doubt, things would be going
wrong.”
Ojogbowale
Surat, one of the TCI Assisted Mobilisers for Family Planning in her response stated
that they have covered the entire Ileepo Mushin Market. “Here is Mushin Market, they sell foodstuff, provisions,
the number of traders and customers in this market is uncountable; we have gone
round the market in this outreach. The streets covered by the market include, Onumorokun
Street, Post Office, Agege Motor Road, Mumuni Street, Dada Iyalode, Koran, Abiodun,
Ile Ladega, and so on and so forth, preaching the message of family planning. We
have met many people and urged them to come and take family planning even men;
we have given them condoms, both men and women and they are responding. We tell
them to come to our stand and collect all these items, and also come to the
health centre and take any of the family planning of their choice anytime they
have chance.
Another
Mobiliser Mrs. Oluwatoyin Shanu, “We do this from time to time, apart from this
outreach, individually on our own we still talk to the people, taking the
message of family planning to the people for them to know what they need to do
at any giving point in time to be able to space their family and raise the
number of children they want.”
Adebise Abojaiye,
a satisfied user who deals in Onions business at Papajawo, Olomowewe section of
the market, stated that family planning is the best thing that would happen to any
woman of child bearing age, adding that after three children she has been on
family planning even with the consent of her husband. Not only did she do the
implant for three years, she has also embarked on three months version until
such a time she and her husband are ready to have more children. But most
significant is the fact that she has not seen any side effect since she started
family planning.
Speaking on
the type of family planning she received Abojaiye said, “I did the implant, it
was inserted into my hand for three years, from February, 2021 to February,
2024.”
She admitted
that she achieved the purpose for which she did the family planning. “I have
not had children since I did it, even though I still want to have children, so
when I removed the one of implant, I did another one which is in injection form,
that is for here months, and it will expire by May, then I will collect another
one.”
More
revealing is that she has three children already “I already have three children
before I embarked on family planning.”
She
disclosed that she still wanted to have another child, but her husband said he
was not ready yet. “I wanted to have it this year but my husband said I should
do the one of one year, till next year.”
She advised
her fellow women to ignore all rumours and side talks and do family planning “I
am telling my fellow women to do family planning, there is no side effect and I
don’t have big tommy, my stature is okay, nobody knows that I did it and I
encourage other women who need it to go and do family planning. There is no
cause for alarm. I see my menstruation
on time, if it does not come, I am not even scared at all.”
The outreach
also coincided with the an event at the Mushin Local Government where the LGA in
collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board had what they
called Step Down Training for Ward Health Committee Members which took place at
the Mushin Local Government Headquarters.
As explained by Reverend Bola Nuga and
Morakinyo Olaolu Sola, representing Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development
(LACSOP) an NGO working for the advancement of the people of Lagos and which also
partners with Lagos State Primary Health Board, said the trainees are expected
to go the wards where they reside to find out and report to the primary health
centres what is going on in the communities for prompt action in order to avert
problems, they are required also to sensitise the people in their wards on the
need for family planning and beginning antenatal early to avoid child and
maternal mortality.
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