10/04/2024
FOBNA Enrolls 585 Children in Cheshe Community into NHIS, Aims to Support Vulnerable Families.
Fountain of Blessings for Nations (FOBNA) has successfully enrolled 585 children under 18 from the Cheshe community in the Tamale South Constituency into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Of these, 324 children had their health insurance cards renewed, while 261 were newly enrolled. This initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Tamale Metro Health Insurance Scheme office and the Cheshe community.
Alima Yamba, the founder of FOBNA, personally funded the registration. She expressed that the organization’s mission is to give back to humanity, particularly by supporting underprivileged children. Alima emphasized that access to healthcare is a fundamental right, especially for the vulnerable in society. This initiative aimed to reduce the financial burden on parents in the Cheshe community and ensure that their children have access to quality healthcare.
Alima thanked the chief, elders, and Assemblyman of Cheshe for their support, which made it possible for FOBNA to assist the community. In response, the chief of Cheshe expressed his gratitude for the initiative, noting its significant impact on the health and well-being of the children and their families. However, he highlighted other challenges faced by the community, including the lack of furniture in the Cheshe primary school, and appealed to FOBNA for further assistance.
The Tamale Metropolis Health Insurance Officer Mr Osman Sulemana Samuel also praised FOBNA for their contribution, noting that many other communities need similar support to enrol their children in the NHIS. He expressed hope that FOBNA would secure funding to continue its vital work in other underprivileged areas.
Abdul-Razak Issah, the executive director of FOBNA, shared additional details of the organization’s work, noting that 300 children had previously been enrolled on the NHIS in the Zantani community, located in the Tolon District. He also mentioned that FOBNA had provided 40 metal dual desks to schools in the Tolon District and the Sagnarigu Municipality, as well as 7 packets of roofing sheets to help re-roof two primary schools: Priya E/P Primary and Banvim Presby Primary.
In the area of health education, FOBNA has also raised awareness of menstrual hygiene, providing sanitary pads to about 270 adolescent girls from Malshegu R/C Junior High School and Bimbilla Presby Junior High School.
All of these initiatives have been self-funded by the organization’s founder, as FOBNA has not yet received external financial support since its establishment in 2020. During the event in Cheshe, Alima Yamba’s granddaughter, Pokua, who resides in the United States, participated by distributing NHIS booklets to the community. She pledged to share FOBNA’s story with her peers in the hope of mobilizing support for children in northern Ghana.
FOBNA continues to seek funding and partnerships with local and international non-profit organizations, as well as government entities to expand its reach and further assist vulnerable communities across the region.
