This week's Thursday was another good day for me. I and some of my team members did something small but meaningful and impactful.
I know you will like to know what exactly we did. I've been on it for a while with my LGI(Local government inspector), as I'm a serving corp member. And as corpers that we are, we are expected to carry out a Community Development Service Program(CDS) once in a week, which is usually on a Thursday.
We have very few CDS groups, the likes of NDLEA(drug law enforcement agencies), we have FRSC(Road safety service), and then we have the Environmental CDS group which I happen to be the coordinator. We go to different places, like markets, streets and all cleaning the environment and all.
So as not to bore you with long talks, I discussed with my LGI to let us do something different, not as if what we've been doing is not good, but to add some more things to it, like going for sensitization and awareness programs, giving health talks, visiting schools and talking about personal hygiene and the likes.
After a bit of this and that, he agreed. And we had our first program in a school yesterday. And as the coordinator for my CDS group, I wa so busy trying to put things in place. It looked simple and all, but then, I can tell you for free that it has a toll on me, it took money, effort and all.
And to be sincere, most of my group members did contributed to it, both in cash, in attendance, in coordinating and all. One thing I was very particular about before and during the program was that the right people would be out spoke person/facilitators. And also that it should go well as matters we are discussing relates so well to ladies, we should be very respectful and responsible with our words and actions.
The focus of the program was on young female students, talking about their personal hygiene, menstrual care and such. And we did that in a very respectful way. With the help of my LGI, I reached out to a few of my fellow corp members who are in the health line to help us handle the talk sessions properly and I must say, they performed really well.
The stress came before we started and had to get the students settled, the space we were given is a little bit tight and cramped. And looking at the topic we want to talk about, we know such a space isn't ideal for it. But then, we managed it, we didn't take much of their time as well and the various sessions went well.
It was a very orderly and engaging one. Questions were asked and answers were given. Even though some commented about the fact that I'm a male and shouldn't have been the one coordinating such, but then, a female never brought this idea, this isn't an attack on the females though. But then, I didn't take any of the sessions aside the opening speech and appreciation at the end of the program. Every other things were carried out by the females. The issue was,"while will a male be the one to come up with such a thing regarding female talks."
But then, health has nothing to do with gender, awareness, support and all has nothing to do with gender. We don't go to the hospital to deliver a baby or an issue of emergency and request that a male doctor not attend to you.
Personally, I think if we start doing that and limiting certain issues, talks and all to a gender, then we are really limiting ourselves while making certain things that should be discussed boxed and shameful to speak about.
The most important thing was not who and who was there, it was about the students, the fact that they learnt and asked questions. It was also about the teamwork from my fellow corp members who helped to maintain order, document how the program went, while also taking pictures and videos.
We really did manage our time well, we used less than two hours and believe me, we delivered. I'm very grateful to those who were invited to speak, to the students who graced us with their presence, to the school management who were present as well and to the corp members present at the program.
The appreciation and encouragement we got from the students and school management was encouraging, I'm glad we did this, I'm glad it went well, and most importantly, I'm glad we made a difference the little way we could. And this has encouraged us all to keep it up and do another very soon.
🌹
Images are mine.
Thanks a lot for taking your time to read through, kindly do well to stop by my blog 
❣️❣️❣️
