November 11: TRIP TO RAFINKADA.

With the plan to extend its sensitization programme to the interior towns under Wukari local government, the WOTCLEF CDS group embarked on its trip to Rafinkada. Known as outstations in NYSC language, Rafinkada is one of the villages under Wukari LG. The WOTCLEF foundation was set up by Alhaja Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of Nigeria’s former vice president. WOTCLEF- Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation have its objectives as follows; to eradicate women and children trafficking, stop child labour and fight against the HIV scourge. The seventeen members of the group who paid for the trip went for the journey. This is one project where everyone is a facilitator. Equipped with the necessary information in our arsenal of knowledge, we set out on the 25 minutes drive from Wukari city to Rafinkada.
Thursday, the 11th day of November is Rafinkada’s market day. Many farmers brought their goods from neigbouring towns. Mostly populated by the Tivs, the commodities common with the market are Yam, dry fish of any type, sugarcane and oranges. Seasons determine the seasonal produce available in the market. A part from farm produce, wears, building materials, provisions and many other non-perishable goods can be found in the market. The Fulani women hawk their fura da nunu: domestically pasteurized milk. Some hawk live chicken placed in their calabash. Located along Takum road, the market surrounds the only public road transport park in the town also serving as the market square. Wagon Peugeot 504 is the only type of vehicles that conveys commuters and traders to and from the town. The park has an organized leadership structure common with Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NUTRW). The chairman has a room office in the market, while the secretary who is a secondary school teacher coordinates his duty from the school (during school hours) and from the park when school is over.
We paid a courtesy visit to the executive chairman and his secretary in their office. The secretary who did most of the talking in good English devoid of any identifiable accent (may be, because he speaks four languages-Tiv, jukun, hausa and English.) informed us that we need a Tiv translator instead of an Huasa interpreter we made provision for. The few NUTRW members who can translate English to Tiv demanded a pay for the duty. Showing understanding to the financial situation of corpers, the secretary sent one of his SS1 students to interpret for us. NLC strike was to our advantage. With the permission of the two leadership heads of the park whom we have previously informed about our visit, we set out for our campaign.
As the facilitator mount the raised concrete pavement at the centre of the park with the public address system, others dispatch in group of twos into the market to talk to the traders who cannot leave their stands and stores. The first and second facilitators (both corpers) talked in hausa while the interpreter translated to Tiv. With my partner, we set out on our own sensitization. We talked on the deceitful tricks of human traffickers who lured unsuspecting victims into modern day slavery in foreign land and the agent who confiscates travel documents of his victims till they agree to engage in obnoxious jobs like selling drugs, various degrees of theft and prostitution. On the issue of child labour, we warned not to engage children of below 15 years into labour so that their concentration and mental development in school will not be hampered. Teaching victims of child labour in school is like farming on loose sandy soil lacking both organic and inorganic manure. The issues of HIV continued to win the interest of most people, who want to know how one can identify a HIV positive person as if positive people carry the label on their fore heads.
As weariness set in, we (me and my partner) noticed a boutique in the market with seats and moved there as our next target. The fan in the boutique fanned out the stress of standing longer than a soldier on a parade ground. The host, after listening to our message asked for our names. His face lit when he realized that we are from the same tribe. We were not much surprised. Igbo man is one hardworking fellow, taking civilization to the interior at a profit. As many facilitating groups became tired, they seek rest at the boutique. Beaming with smiles at our effort, the boutique owner bought cold drinks (Lucozade Boost) for the corp members in his shop to water their dried mouths.
The journey back to Wukari was very quiet. Many were sleeping in the vehicle. Tiredness was written all over our faces as we complete the CDS project for the month.