By Obio Monday

Miss Ukwa Eburutu, Marylyn Esuong

Miss Ukwa Eburutu, Marylyn Esuong has called on rural communities to key into the federal and Cross River State government’s effort to end open defecation.

Miss Esuong made the call in Ukwa Eburutu, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State during an health outreach carried out by her office in the community.

The beauty queen enumerated the dangers of open defecation to the health of the community, calling on government to assist communities to build toilets.

She stressed the need for sex education by parents and secondary school teachers, adding that if this is done even at secondary school level, the rate of early or unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections will be greatly reduced; “It’s unfortunate that parents shy away from educating their children on sex. Some of these young people end up getting the wrong information from other people. Some do not get all. This has led to increased teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections amongst young people. Our parents and teachers should rise up to the occasion”.

On her pet project, she said “I have always thought of how to touch the lives of people in my little capacity. So, when I emerged Miss Ukwa Eburutu Queen last year, I saw how the people of Ukwa Eburutu are suffering. No motorable road, no portable water, no electricity, no basic healthcare… There is almost absence of government’s presence in the community. I decided to carry out this outreach, with support from public spirited individuals to ameliorate the sufferings of my people. On the first day, we carried distribution of exercise books and other writing materials to primary schools in Ukwa Eburutu. We also carried out sex education in secondary schools, enlightenment campaign on open defection”.

She continued;” We distributed condoms, free malaria drugs, carried out free testing on malaria, HIV, checking of blood pressure and other vital signs”.