By Damiete Braide
The correspondent of The Sun newspapers in Plateau State, Mr. Gyang Bere, has won the prestigious Cleft Awareness Media Award (CAMA), Nigeria, 2022. Bere won with his indepth and soul-lifting report, titled, “Hope for babies with cleft…Smile Train putting smile on faces of babies, parents.”
The award, which was presented on November 30, 2022, in Abuja during a two-day National Surgical Obstetrics, Anaesthesia and Nursing Plan for Nigeria (NSOANP) and Cleft Care was sponsored by Smile Train.
It was learnt that scores of entries were received across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones by the panel of five judges who were said to have judiciously scrutinized the articles submitted and chose Bere’s as the best.
The article talked about the pitiable condition of a 34-year-old mother of one, Blessing Emmanuel, who gave birth to a baby with cleft lip and palate, a health condition that creates an opening or split in the roof of the mouth of the baby.
The situation created a commotion at Kubwa General Hospital where baby Purity Emmanuel was born. The condition, which appeared very strange, left medical attendants in the hospital in disarray as they ran helter skelter without help.
Also, Blessing was left crying helplessly and hopelessly in amidst until when her husband came in contact with Smile Train, an organisation that assured the family that surgery would he carried out to correct the condition.
The story provided background information, which restored hope of the deserted and helpless family as well as assisted several families gain access to Smile Train for free cleft care. The organization assured the family that free corrective surgery would be carried out on Baby Purity after three months from birth.
Fadekeme Oginni, Professor of Oral Maxillofacid at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), who presented the award, commended Bere for working hard towards creating awareness on cleft care which assisted many victims to access free surgery.
She encouraged the reporter to work more in creating awareness on cleft care as there are several families out there in the society who are battling with the condition without access to care.
Vice President and Reginal Director Africa, Smile Train, Mrs Nkeiruka Obi, was overwhelmed with the realistic achievements recorded so far in awareness creation on cleft care and expressed gratitude that Nigeria is leading in providing cleft care through the implementation of National Surgical Obstetrics, Anaesthesia and Nursing Plan for Nigeria (NSOANP).
She solicited more support from the media on awareness creation in order to put smiles on the faces of families battling with the condition, saying their services are free.
Speaking on the stakeholders forum, she commenced her remarks with a quotation from Maya Angelou that “one is not necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.”
She intimated the stakeholders that it is the power of consistency that is driving the implementation of NSOANP and commended participants for their commitment so far and stated that NSOANP implementation has become a flagship programme in Africa with Nigeria taking the lead.
Mrs. Obi appreciated the NSOANP Team, comprising the development partners, implementation committee and other stakeholders and appreciated the FMoH for taking the leadership position and ensuring that NSOANP works and reiterated Nigeria’s recognition at the SOA conference in Dakar, Senegal.
She reassured the commitment of Smile Train and appealed for the continued efforts of participants during the conference and beyond towards the furtherance of the implementation of NSOANP.