In April 2007 the sons and daughters of Mbiokporo II in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, residing in the United States of America came together and formed an Association called Mbiokporo II Development Asssociation USA. The Association has as a vision “to unite our people at home and abroad, to help in the development our community at home and abroad and to give hope, opportunities and empowerment to our people.”

The first convention of the Association was held in Miami, USA, in June 2007. During the Friday night business meeting, the members brainstormed on a number of projects that would have an immediate impact on the lives of the villagers and the surrounding villages. Of all the topics and projects discussed and debated on, healthcare delivery was unanimously agreed upon as the undertaking that would have an immediate palpable impact on the lives of the villagers. They believed then that building a medical center/clinic would provide them with a facility to conduct medical screening and treatment of common illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and other malaises that plague the people there. Preventive medicine, basic hygiene and family planning were also discussed.  The immediate constraint then was where to obtain funding for the project and the land to build the medical center. Upon further debate, the members decided to approach the elders of the village and implore them to provide land for the medical center. A delegate from the Association traveled from the United States of America to the village to present the proposal to the elders. When the plan was presented to the village elders, they could not contain their excitement of such a monumental task that was envisioned because according them, nothing of that magnitude was ever attempted by the indigenes of any other village in their environ.  Land was donated for the project.

During the next visit to the village to present the plan for the medical center, attention was directed to the deplorable state of the secondary school, where the buildings were dilapidated and the enrollment of students were terribly low.  The state threatened to close down the school for good because of these conditions. One of the reasons for the poor enrollment was because students were deprived of getting a good education since the teachers would routinely send the students to go to the stream about 3 miles away to fetch water. Some teachers also refused to teach at the school because of the deplorable state of the secondary school.  When the delegate returned back to the United States and informed the Association of the situation at the Secondary School, it was a devastating and unpalatable news. This is because the secondary school was believed to be the light of the village. The Association therefore, assembled an impromptu meeting to address the situation in the Secondary school.

In 2008, the Association completed a borehole in the secondary, therefore doing away with the practice of sending students to fetch water, and purchased a generator for electricity. Having clean water in the school had changed the whole atmosphere of the school. The impact on the lives of staff is infectious. Last year, a teacher confided to one of our delegates that he came to the school because of the availability of water and electricity. The total number of enrollment has increased by 100%. The secondary school which was waiting for a notice from the Department of Education to close its doors was praised by personnel from the Department of Education who attended the commissioning of the borehole project. Additionally in 2009, friends of the Association completed two (2) other boreholes in the village, with one being in the medical center compound.  With 3 boreholes in the village, the Association has provided the villagers with clean water which will prevent water borne diseases that have claimed untold number of lives in their midst.

The Association has conducted two medical missions to the village with successful outcomes. In one of the medical missions, three (3) patients reported to suffer of severe headache and attributed the cause to witchery. Upon examination, it was discovered that all of them had severe hypertension that would have could required in the United States of America. These patients were given two different types of blood pressure medications to better manage their elevated blood pressure. Many other ailments were treated during the medical missions.

In November 2009, the foundation was laid for the medical center and in March 2010 the roof was completed. We are delighted to say that as of February 2014, the medical center building project was completed.  In November 2015, we conducted the first medical mission from the United States of America, where we provided free reading glasses, medications, medical screenings, and free vitamins.

As planned, when fully funded, the medical center will provide daily medical services to the patients Monday through Friday initially, and later we expect for services to be provided seven (7) days a week.