Nasarawa community rich in farming, poor in living

For a farming community that is rich in rice production, its good fortunes ought to transform the lives of the people. However, residents of Iwasabo community are groaning under malnutrition and diseases. Iwasabo community lies on the intersection of two economic centres: the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, but the benefits of this […]

For a farming community that is rich in rice production, its good fortunes ought to transform the lives of the people. However, residents of Iwasabo community are groaning under malnutrition and diseases.

Iwasabo community lies on the intersection of two economic centres: the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, but the benefits of this location are yet to affect the community.

The residents of Iwasabo still suffer from water-borne diseases, malnutrition and environmental hazards. Cultural beliefs are still high in the area, which encourage open defecation, poor sanitation and poor hygiene.

However, the fortunes of the community were enhanced when a new parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) established a kindergarten in the community, which enabled many of the kids, who had never been to school, to attend classes.

The Coordinator of RCCG CSR FCT Province III, Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, said, “I see the young, I see the old, I see the babies. I even saw somebody with kwashiorkor. God will help us to do more.”

Added to the intervention of the church, the community, for one week in November, played host to natives of neighbouring FCT and Nasarawa communities of Jeje, Angwan-Taki, Taka Lafia, among others, at the church’s convention, which featured spiritual seminars, sports, health and welfare for the locals.

A son of the chief of the community, Ibrahim Sarki, said the community was elated with what had been done for it.

Sarki said, “The chief has asked me to tell you people that this is good, that he has never seen people gathered in the community for many days in this way.

“He said he was of the opinion that the gathering is a sign that development has come to the community.”

RCCG Coordinator of Missions in the province, Pastor Andrew Magaji, explained the vision behind the programme.

Pastor Magaji said, “By the Grace of God, we started the mission 10 years ago when I was posted to Karshi, and we discovered that there were many villages that had not been reached. There and then I took the interest of starting fellowship with them.”

He said the programme, which had become an annual event, featured prayers, healing, deliverance, repentance and water baptism.

“This year, we recorded more attendance. Last year, we had a lot of people that were baptised in the Holy Ghost and they can speak in tongues now,” he said Pastor Regina Andrew Gandu Magaji.

Despite the effort of the church, the residents want government to provide them with amenities to enable them convey their farm produce to nearby cities.