Nothing held more value for Zainab Yetunde Adam than charity and journalism. In 2023, when she began her NYSC stint, she looked forward to participating in the Community Development Service (CDS).
“There was a day I was speaking to our CDS coordinator that I wanted to do a project, and he was like, ‘you’re late; the earlier, the better’,” the corps member recounted. “So, I began to inquire from people on how to go about it.”
Despite being behind time, Zainab’s proposal was approved, winning the support of a good few generous individuals.
On July 11, she launched her pioneer project. Sajeri Community, a village in Nigeria’s Borno State, had long faced water scarcity, causing locals to trek miles in search of potable water. Zainab’s borehole construction brought succour to Sajeri, addressing its protracted water crisis.
This is, however, not an isolated example. Similar stories of corps members spearheading community initiatives within their states of deployment have caught on elsewhere.
Mustapha Lawal, originally from Ifelodun local government area in Kwara State, works in Yola, Adamawa State, under the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). In addition to renovating the dilapidated toilet facilities at the State Polytechnic, Lawal erected a shaded waiting area at the Yola North local government area secretariat for corps members.
On the south of Adamawa State, another corps member, Joy Ehinyen Ihenyen, transformed a ramshackle building into a clinic that now delivers essential medical care to residents in Kpogno community, within the state.
Yet these humanitarian works are not unique to northern Nigeria. In 2022, Odede Joseph, a corps member serving in Lagos, built an eye clinic in Ilasa. The first of its kind in the community, the clinic has been praised by community leaders for its role in reducing the burden on general hospitals in the city.
Funded by public donations, NYSC support, or individual savings, these projects highlight how corp members are demonstrating a strong commitment to nation-building through various community development initiatives.
Zainab Yetunde Adam, passionate about charity and journalism, started her NYSC service in 2023 and was determined to contribute through the Community Development Service (CDS). Despite initial setbacks, Zainab’s project, supported by generous individuals, aimed to address water scarcity in Sajeri Community, Borno State, through borehole construction.
Other NYSC corps members have similarly undertaken impactful projects. Mustapha Lawal, deployed in Adamawa State, renovated toilet facilities at the State Polytechnic and built a shaded waiting area. In the same state, Joy Ehinyen Ihenyen converted a dilapidated building into a clinic for Kpogno community residents. In Lagos, Odede Joseph established an eye clinic, providing crucial medical services to the Ilasa community.
These initiatives, funded by donations, NYSC support, or personal savings, reflect the strong commitment of corps members to community development and nation-building across Nigeria.
