One of Nigeria’s leading digital solutions company for agriculture and health systems, Vetsark, has announced the donation of critical personal protective equipment to residents of Ajegunle community.
This is part of its COVID-19 risk communication and prevention strategy to help Lagos State combat COVID-19.
The items donated include facemasks, hand gloves and soaps to the residents of the community.
According to the agric solution provider firm, the donation, which lasted for over eight weeks, targeted mostly underprivileged people such as residents, local market women, security personnel, medical staff, and other essential workers, who are the first responders on the frontline, providing care and treatment to people affected by the virus in the community.
Commenting on the donation, the Chief Executive Officer of Vetsark, Blessing Mene, said: “Our intervention in Ajegunle community is very timely because Ajegunle is considered as the largest slum in Nigeria and one of the largest in Sub Sahara Africa.
“Our goal was to increase awareness and prevention of COVID-19 among the over 500,000 residents in the area, and distribute 5,000 critical protective equipment to the most vulnerable people living in Ajegunle, over eight weeks period.
“We have no doubt that the protective equipment will play an important role in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the community and Lagos state as a whole.”
In addition to providing protective equipment, Mene explained that Vetsark officials sensitised the people on hygiene practices, keeping social distance, handwashing with soap and water as well as the do’s and don’ts of COVID-19.
Mene said: “We sensitised the people of the community on various hygiene measures to protect them from COVID-19. Before our intervention, many people did not believe the pandemic was real.
“Our sensitisation effort led to a change in behavior and attitude towards COVID-19. This is consistent with our goal of preventing disease outbreaks in communities as well as our mission of transforming agriculture and health in Africa.
“We believe good public health is central to the prosperity of any people, and as such must be prioritized.”
The agric digital firm also used the intervention to call on stakeholders and good-hearted Nigerians to join in supporting the efforts of the Federal Government towards combating the pandemic.
