On a Saturday morning in February 2025, we set up in a community centre in the Karu district of Abuja. We had one nurse practitioner, two community health workers, a midwife, and fifteen volunteers. We expected to serve around 80 people. By noon, over 200 had come through.
The demand for maternal health services was striking. We conducted 67 prenatal consultations — women who had not seen a health professional during their pregnancies because the nearest clinic was too far, or the fees were too high. We referred 11 high-risk pregnancies to a partner hospital for follow-up care.
The nutrition station was equally revealing. We screened 143 children under five for malnutrition indicators and found that nearly 30% showed signs of stunting. We provided immediate nutrition packs and connected families with the National Social Safety Nets Programme for longer-term support.
What we did not expect was how much people wanted to be heard. Women sat with our health educator not just to receive information, but to ask questions — real questions about their bodies, their children, and what they should do when the formal health system was not accessible to them. We are designing a community health education series based on what we heard that day.
We are planning six more community health days in 2025, in collaboration with local government health authorities in Lagos, Kano, and Rivers State. If you are a healthcare professional interested in volunteering, we need you.