Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Tea Vendors (Teburin Maishayi) are meeting points for individuals and groups to share information and vitalization of ideas amongst diverse ethnic customers.
Many believe that (Teburin Maishayi) is where lots of information and stories concerning day to day activities of government and different organizations are discussed which is sometimes very crucial to states and national development.
Given the importance attached to such Tea Vendors, Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has on Saturday in collaboration with The Challenge Initiative (TCI) staged an interactive session amongst Tea Vendors across 10 TCI-supported local government areas of the state.
Aisha Ahmad a demand generation officer of the TCI Sokoto coordinating office, while addressing Tea Vendors stressed that TCI and SSPHCDA have recognized the importance of traditional Teburin Maishayi when it comes to information dissemination, sharing, and continue debate with reasons on critical issues of public importance.
She said most of the issues discussed at Teburin Maishayi go beyond rumour, adding that security operatives also take advantage of such traditional Tea joints to gather vital information with positive and negative impacts, including certain government policies that may not be favourable to the economic condition of the citizenry.
She said Teburin Maishayi is a tool to tap and pass pieces of vital information on many issues, especially on Family Planning (FP) and lots of benefits attached vis-a-vis the present hash economic condition facing many families. “Many couples are currently seeking affordable ways to adjust their family life for their continued survival.”
In his remarks, the Director of Advocacy and Mobilization in the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Malam Dahiru Mohammed Kamaru Gada, commended TCI for the collaborative effort.
He said the effort by TCI would create more awareness of FP among people of diverse ethnic, cultural, and geopolitical backgrounds, aimed at achieving the desired objectives.
He urges participants at the Teburin Maishayi FP awareness campaign program to pass a similar campaign message to their customers at home on the importance of family planning methods available at their health facilities.
The participating council areas are Kware, Wamakko, Gwadabawa, Wurno, Bodinga, Silame, Tambuwal, Dang/Shuni, Sokoto North, and Sokoto South.
Traditional tea joints, known as “Teburin Mai Shayi,” serve as community gathering points where people discuss various issues and share information.
Sani Umar Jabbi, a traditional ruler and a strong advocate for FP in the state, advised participants to utilize their tea joints to enlighten people on the importance of visiting health facilities for advice on childbirth spacing and other health-related issues.
He stated that family planning is a significant tool for enhancing family welfare and economic planning of family income and at the same time makes communities, and society more competitive.
“Population growth will be a blessing if it can be managed properly by households”
He urged communities to take responsibility for providing basic needs of their families through the use of family planning method of their choices, adding that the method if properly adhered to would avoid unwanted pregnancies and enhance the economic, educational, and social life of their families, “it will also empower women children in their localities.
