Outreach Stories
Documented accounts of NHF outreach work — open any outreach below to read what happened, who was reached, and what we learned.
Completed programme — 1–7 August 2026World Breastfeeding Week 2026 — "Strengthen What Works"
Community need: Mothers around Oghara receive a great deal of conflicting advice about breastfeeding — that breast size determines how much milk you make, that a crying baby means the milk is not enough, that early difficulty means something is wrong. Perceived low milk supply is one of the commonest reasons breastfeeding stops earlier than a mother intended, and what is usually missing is not milk but accurate information and skilled, practical support.
NHF response: NHF marked World Breastfeeding Week from 1 to 7 August 2026 under the global theme "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works" — deliberately reinforcing the support mothers already have rather than introducing something separate from it. The week combined publicity and community mobilisation, two days of clinic-based outreach, and a social media campaign with community advocacy.
Services provided: Health talks on breastfeeding and the value of breast milk; counselling on family planning; moderated question-and-answer sessions on the breastfeeding myths mothers actually reported hearing; practical breastfeeding demonstrations covering proper positioning and attachment; 31 medical consultations; and the distribution of 150 packs of diapers and 70 packs of wipes. Infant care items were also taken to mothers admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Maternity Ward, Labour Ward, and High Dependency Unit at DELSUTH.
People reached: 137 mothers attended across three facilities — 30 at Ejemuojavwe PHC and 34 at Ogharefe PHC on 4 August, and 73 at the DELSUTH Infant Welfare and Immunization Clinic on 6 August. 31 mothers received medical consultation. Mothers on four inpatient wards at DELSUTH also received infant care items.
Partner support: Delivered with MWAN Delta through its Advocacy and Implementation of Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health (AIM-MNCNH) project, alongside the Community Medicine Department DELSUTH, Maden Healthcare Foundation, and GladCare Health and Research Foundation. The Community Medicine Department fielded 5 staff on the first outreach day and 16 on the second, supported by 8 nursing students, 5 MWAN doctors, and NHF's 7-person team.
Lessons learned: Reaching mothers on the wards mattered as much as the clinic sessions — mothers in the neonatal unit, labour ward, and high dependency unit are often under the most strain and the least able to come out to an outpatient talk. Pairing the myth Q&A with a hands-on positioning and attachment demonstration also proved more useful than a talk alone: most of the early difficulty mothers described was a question of technique, not of supply.
Next steps: NHF continues to work with MWAN Delta's AIM-MNCNH project and the Community Medicine Department DELSUTH on maternal and infant nutrition, with breastfeeding support delivered inside routine infant welfare and immunization clinic visits rather than only during awareness weeks.
Completed outreach — 19 June 2026Ejemuojavwe Women's Health Outreach (Sapele Road, Oghara)
Community need: Women in the Oghara junction area needed accessible health talks and screening on cervical cancer, oral hygiene, and postpartum haemorrhage, alongside general medical care.
NHF response: On 19 June 2026, NHF ran a women's health outreach in collaboration with MWAN Delta and the Maden Healthcare Foundation, combining health education, a drama presentation by medical students, and clinical services.
Services provided: Health talks on cervical cancer, oral health hygiene, and postpartum haemorrhage; drama by medical students; medical consultations; a blood donation drive; dental scaling and polishing; cervical cancer screening; and distribution of medication, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.
People reached: 75 patients attended in total. 12 received scaling and polishing. 22 were screened for cervical cancer, of whom 7 showed suspicious lesions requiring follow-up. 4 people donated blood.
Partner support: Delivered with MWAN Delta (5 students) and Maden Healthcare Foundation (5 representatives). Team included 6 doctors, 1 dental technician, 1 medical laboratory scientist, 1 health assistant, 1 nurse, and 2 records staff.
Lessons learned: Combining health talks and a student drama presentation with hands-on screening drew strong engagement, and cervical cancer screening proved its value on the day: 7 of the 22 women screened showed suspicious lesions needing follow-up, care many might not otherwise have sought.
Next steps: The 7 patients with suspicious cervical lesions require confirmed referral and follow-up tracking.
Completed outreach — 3 December 2025School for the Deaf — International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Community need: The school — a mixed boarding and day school for deaf students (primary and JSS1), running since 2009 — welcomed a visit marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025, themed "Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress."
NHF response: NHF gave a talk encouraging students and staff to see themselves as a functional part of society, then answered health questions raised by staff about specific students — including asthma management, cerebral palsy with incontinence, and a recently noticed case of scoliosis. NHF also presented welfare packages to the school.
Services provided: Disability-inclusion talk delivered through the school's sign-language interpreter, health guidance on asthma, cerebral palsy, and scoliosis management, and welfare package distribution.
People reached: 37 students, 4 teachers, and 4 other staff at the school.
Partner support: Hosted by proprietor Mr Daniel Nwaduke (Director) and Mrs Elizabeth Nwaduke (Admin Director). NHF was represented by Dr Felicity Odoh, Dr Oghenesiuvwe Nuvie Oyobere-Okupa, and Dr Harriet Akpughe (CEO).
Lessons learned: Communication is entirely in sign language, with the proprietor's son acting as interpreter — future outreaches to the school should plan for interpreter-led sessions from the outset.
Next steps: NHF is coordinating follow-up with the school on the specific health management questions raised: asthma, cerebral palsy, and scoliosis.
Completed outreach — 15 May 2025Ovu School Health Programme
Community need: Pupils and staff at Okuodi Primary School needed oral health education and access to medical consultations not otherwise available to them at school.
NHF response: NHF ran a school health outreach on 15 May 2025 with an 8-person medical team, supported by 10 school staff.
Services provided: Oral health education, medical consultations for pupils and staff, distribution of oral hygiene kits, and a research study on oral health.
People reached: 420 children attended, alongside school staff and the 8-person NHF medical team.
Partner support: Delivered in partnership with Okuodi Primary School's leadership and staff.
Lessons learned: Delivering oral health education alongside consultations and take-home hygiene kits gave pupils both the knowledge and the tools to act on it. Pairing the visit with an oral health research study also let NHF measure real needs it can target in future school programmes.
Next steps: NHF is following up on the oral health research findings and referral outcomes from the programme.
Completed partner programmeSafe Motherhood Project
Community need: Expectant and new mothers around Eleme PHC needed screening, education, and basic supplies to support safer pregnancies and deliveries.
NHF response: NHF delivered the Rotary Club of Trans-Amadi's Safe Motherhood Project at Eleme Primary Health Centre.
Services provided: Medical consultation and drug administration; malaria, HIV, and glucose testing; pregnancy testing; free distribution of mosquito nets and safe motherhood kits.
People reached: Women of the Eleme PHC catchment community; attendance was recorded by the host programme.
Partner support: Commissioned by the Rotary Club of Trans-Amadi.
Lessons learned: Pairing testing with take-home commodities (nets, safe motherhood kits) increased the practical value of each visit for expectant mothers.
Next steps: Archived programme. Maternal health remains a core NHF programme area.
Completed partner programme — 3 daysRotary Family Health Day Support
Community need: The Rivers State Family Health Day needed clinical teams to deliver simultaneous free health services across four primary health centres.
NHF response: NHF provided medical teams for the three-day programme, running services simultaneously at Model Primary Health Centre Diobu, Pott Johnson Health Centre, Ozuoba Primary Health Centre, and Woji Primary Health Centre.
Services provided: Medical consultation and drug administration; malaria, HIV, glucose, and hepatitis B and C testing; visual assessment and treatment; breast cancer screening; family planning and counselling with distribution of condoms and sanitary pads; free mosquito net distribution.
People reached: Delivered across four health centres simultaneously over three days; centre-level attendance was recorded by the host programme.
Partner support: Delivered in service to Rotary's Rivers State Family Health Day.
Lessons learned: Running four sites simultaneously proved NHF can staff multi-site programmes when services are standardized in advance.
Next steps: Archived programme. The multi-site model informs how NHF scopes partner requests.
Completed outreach — 2 daysAll Saints Anglican Church Ughelli Cathedral Outreach
Community need: The All Saints Anglican Church prayer convocation gathered congregations from Anglican churches across the locality — communities with substantial unmet needs for consultations, screening, and treatment.
NHF response: NHF delivered a two-day general free medical outreach at the Ughelli Cathedral convocation.
Services provided: 2,813 general consultations; 615 dental consultations including 30 extractions and 20 scaling-and-polishing procedures; 819 eye consultations; blood sugar, malaria, hepatitis B and C, and HIV testing; 1,000 insecticide-treated nets and free medications distributed.
People reached: 2,813 people attended over two days — NHF's largest documented single outreach.
Partner support: Hosted by All Saints Anglican Church, Ughelli, during its prayer convocation.
Lessons learned: Follow-up found 83% of convocation patients complied with their medication regime, against a typical 17% rate, supported by SMS medication reminders.
Next steps: Archived outreach. The church-partnership model remains one of NHF's most effective routes to reaching large congregations.
Completed outreach — 3 daysBuguma Community Outreach
Community need: Residents of Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA had limited access to affordable consultations, screening, and medications, with a high burden of preventable and non-communicable disease.
NHF response: NHF delivered a three-day free medical outreach for the community, commissioned by the I-Charity Club of Nigeria.
Services provided: 1,500 general consultations; 300 dental consultations including 50 extractions and 75 scaling-and-polishing procedures; 550 eye consultations with 500 glasses distributed; blood sugar, blood pressure, malaria, hepatitis B and C, and HIV testing; 700 insecticide-treated nets and free medications distributed.
People reached: 1,500 people attended over three days.
Partner support: Commissioned by the I-Charity Club of Nigeria, with community leadership support.
Lessons learned: Follow-up found 90% of Buguma patients complied with their medication regime — against a typical 15% rate — with SMS reminders improving daily adherence.
Next steps: Archived outreach. Adherence findings feed NHF's current follow-up model.
Completed outreach — 1 dayUghelli Community Outreach — "Good Health for All"
Community need: A primary survey using records from local primary healthcare centres showed a high rate of preventable disease in children, women, men, and the elderly in the Ughelli area, alongside rising hypertension and diabetes and limited access to affordable care.
NHF response: NHF ran a one-day massive health campaign tagged "Good Health for All" for the Ughelli community, bringing free consultations, testing, treatment, and health commodities directly to residents.
Services provided: 350 general consultations; 100 dental consultations including 12 extractions and 20 scaling-and-polishing procedures; 132 eye consultations with 115 glasses distributed; blood sugar testing, blood pressure checks, malaria testing, hepatitis B and C testing, and HIV testing; free insecticide-treated net distribution and free medications.
People reached: 350 people attended and received care free of charge.
Partner support: Hosted with the Ughelli community and faith-based partners.
Lessons learned: NHF's follow-up team found 78% of patients at Ughelli, Ekete, and nearby communities complied with their medication regime — against a typical 22% compliance rate — helped by SMS reminders to take daily medication.
Next steps: Archived outreach. Follow-up findings on medication adherence now inform how NHF designs reminder and follow-up systems for current programmes.
