After the 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria, which affected over 27 states including Delta State, according to the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria (NEMA) the following damage occurred:
* 7 million people were affected * 2.3 million people were displaced. * 597.476 houses were destroyed or damaged. * 363 people were killed. * An estimate of 2.6 trillion naira were lost.
The Sisters of Charity in Ozoro, saw the need to acquire skills on modern flood management. We sought funding and Misean Cara, Ireland assisted us with financial resources. Roseline Elebe and Sr. Helen went for three months training at Songhai Agricultural Centre, Benin Republic, (February-April 2014). At Songhai, we learnt crop production, fish farming, crop processing, poultry, grass cutting, quail farming and flood disaster management. We have a mandate to train eight hundred rural farmers under Isoko North Local Government Council.
In networking with the community Development Department of the Council and other Agricultural Agencies in Ozoro, we agreed that the training will cover the fifty communities in Isoko North.
On Thursday, 10th July 2014, we held our first agricultural training for all community Chairmen and women leaders. The attendance was very good. On Tuesday 19th August 2014, training was held for the people of Otor-Iyede. The turnout was very great. The people were so happy for such grass root mobilization and empowerment. No Government has ever had interest in reaching out to our people at the grass root level with such training. The rural farmers were crying out for financial assistance to enable them improve conditions on their farms.
We have two more training sessions before the end of the year but due to heavy rain fall this year, which has destroyed so many farms and flooded the roads, we have been unable to continue as we could not reach the people at the riverine communities. Before the end of the year, we shall complete our training of 800 rural farmers, reaching out to our rural farmers, who are neglected and are living in a poor condition without electricity and potable water, while crying out to Government for more social amenities. We thank our donor, Misean Cara, Ireland, who has continued to help us to meet the aspiration of our rural farmers in community development.
Sr. Helen Eluagu, RSC.