Flood babies

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

Amid the lamentation over the hardship brought about by the recent flood tragedy that struck parts of Delta State and forced families to flee their submerged homes, five young women, heavy with pregnancy when the unwanted visitor came calling, have delivered their babies, thanks to God’s mercies.

But while they and their babies are doing relatively well in the Delta State Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located at Isoko Central School  (ICS), Oleh, the women who spoke to Saturday Sun on their experiences confessed that like Evi-Edna Ogholi Ogosi, the late Isoko-born reggae music act, sang years ago, there is truly no place like home.

Full of smiles at being alive to cuddle and care for their babies, despite the challenging situation surrounding their birth, the nursing mothers shared their experiences, adding that they miss their homes where things like pepper soup, hot water, local spices, tea and bread would have been served to them to warm their bodies as soon as they were delivered of the babies. They also admitted to missing the company of relatives who would usually flock around them at such a time as this to lend a helping hand with domestic chores.

Giving birth at the IDP camp, by nursing mothers

Mrs. Faith Christian, a native of Egbeme in Aviara, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, said that it was by the grace of God that she escaped the raging flood before eventually finding her way to the IDP camp where she was given some succour. She still lamented how her home and that of other residents were immediately swamped and submerged by flood. It was people who saw her making her way out of the troubled waters with her protruding stomach, carrying on the head a few household items she could lay hands on, that had pity on her, she said.

But on October 12, she was delivered of a healthy-looking baby girl called Hephzibah at the makeshift medical clinic being operated by a non-governmental organisation, Healing Hands, for expectant mothers. The name said to be a Biblical name of the wife of King Hezekiah, means, “my delight.”

But Mrs. Christian, who is particularly grateful to God and the NGO insisted that truly as her baby’s name suggests, her birth came at God’s delighted or chosen moment. According to her, going by the date given to her at the hospital where she was registered for ante-natal care before the flood came and displaced her community, she was supposed to have given birth to the baby by the end of September.

But all the same, she was grateful for the makeshift clinic and environment. Half-loaf of bread, she said, is better than none. But she admitted that there is a big difference between the post-natal care she usually received at home whenever she delivered a baby and the one she was now receiving in the camp. She said: “Here is not like home because when you are at home, you feel comfortable. Here you feel uncomfortable because the environment is rough.”

The second woman, Mrs. Christiana Johnson, recalled that she was barely a week old in the camp before she went into labour and delivered a baby boy called Jesuyomi at the camp clinic. She said: “I was having intermittent pains before the arrival of the baby.”  While expressing her gratitude to the NGO and other authorities involved, she, however, complained of the absence of mosquito nets to screen the babies from mosquito bites. She also would not mind some hot tea and bread to warm her body with.

“But we are coping,” she assured you. “We acknowledge the help of government, Healing Hands, and all those supporting our welfare here at the camp.”

Adah Charity Omoefe had her own baby, a girl, Testimony, on October 31. She narrated: “I came here on October 13. The place was opened on the 12th. On the 15th, I started having pain, but when I came to meet the nurse, she said I should go for a scan.  They said the baby was too big. I was afraid and anxious till October 31 when I delivered the baby girl. I was scared that they were going to refer me to somewhere else.”

But thankfully, that never happened and she was happy about the development. But the woman who revealed that the baby is her second child, complained of missing homemade pepper soup. She said: “When I had my first child at a clinic in my hometown, I went home after being discharged. At home, there was a lot of care. Relatives were around to take good care of me. My mother was there. My auntie was there. They give me pepper soup.  They took care of the baby on their own. It was comfortable to stay at home. But here I am not all that comfortable. The place is very noisy with people talking and going about till daybreak; you cannot sleep. And, you cannot eat what you desire to eat as a nursing mother.”

Two other young women, Efemena Sarah who was delivered of Abundance, a boy, and Adaku Nwachukwu who was delivered of Best, also a boy, narrated similar experiences and wished to return home to be catered to by their husbands and relatives. However, Healing Hands, their caregivers at the camp who noted that their babies were in perfect health condition, said that all the same they were working round to clock to make the place as comfortable as possible for the nursing mothers.

Babies, mothers are doing well  – Healing Hands

According to Dr. Avwerosuo Onyia, the babies had been given the first dose of immunisation. He, however, called on the public to assist in providing basic necessities like diapers and clothing for the infants, adding that the mothers equally need beverages. Mrs. Ologbo Uche, the matron at the camp who confirmed Onyia’s assertion also said that the babies were in stable condition and were doing well.

She said: “They had been immunized with BCG which is the first dose of immunization. Polio and Hepatitis B injections had been administered on them. For now, there are no challenges. But to take adequate care of future mothers, I think we lack basic things like delivery mats, pads which we normally ask them to provide.”

The non-governmental organisation, Healing Hands, is said to be working hard in the camp to provide some succour for victims of the flood. They include nursing mothers and their babies. The society which is primarily into medical outreaches has been involved in providing care right from the ante-natal stage to the post-natal for nursing mothers. Besides, some philanthropists are said to be making cash donations, ostensibly to address some of the basic needs of nursing mothers. These are said to come in trickles, and hardly go round because of the overwhelming population of being people being served.

Pastor Sam Etaderhi, a volunteer, noted that people’s experiences at IDP camps have been “normal.” He explained: “We see people who are emotionally down struggling.  We touch their lives by helping them to get decent meals that can uplift them. Their major concern right now is how to survive, of which food and medications are crucial. Our medical team also counsels them to boost their psychology. Over the last two weeks, our medical team has been on ground, talking to pregnant women and equipping them with the necessary knowledge.  We are going a step further to provide for the babies, and we have also taken their details for follow-up support”.

But he admitted that their work can be made a lot easier with support from public-spirited individuals. “We are calling on everyone who can be of help, government, religious bodies, NGOs, individuals, and corporate bodies who are into humanitarian work to come to the aid of these victims. The work here is massive, people are suffering. I notice painfully that the true situation of this crisis has not been well-reported.  Talking with the victims or campers here, you discover that the situation is worse than what is being reported out there. Everyone who can be of help is needed right now.”