The recent medical outreach organized by Lakeside and ECS reminded me that true impact often begins with simple acts of service. The experience showed that ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact through small acts of love — a truth I look forward to living out more often.
When a friend reached out to tell me about the medical outreach organized by Lakeside and ECS, I honestly was not planning to attend. I had just finished my penultimate year exams — a month packed with intense study and anxiety, so all I wanted was a break. Besides, the outreach was happening in Ijebu-Ode, a rural town that it was not easy to get enthused about.
But then I paused and gave it more thought. What if I shifted my perspective? It wasn't just another event; it could be an opportunity to learn, serve, and make an impact. That shift gave me renewed energy. I realized that fear is never a good reason to hold back; it only keeps us in invisible chains.
This reflection also reminded me of something deeper: St. Josemaría typically described Opus Dei as being born amidst the poor and the sick. In its earliest days, he used to visit hospitals, orphanages, and poor neighborhoods with university students, helping them discover that faith isn’t lived apart from the world, but right in the midst of it — through work, study, and service to others. In many ways, this outreach felt like a continuation of that same spirit.
We arrived on Friday evening and settled into a camp house owned by ECS. That night, we got straight to work by dividing into our operational units. I had been assigned to lead the drug dispensing unit — a first for me — and though I felt a bit nervous, there was no backing down now. I took charge of a large box of medications generously donated by Jopan Pharmaceuticals, a reputable pharmaceutical firm in Lagos, and began cataloguing the antimalarials, anthelmintics, antibiotics, and multivitamins to create an inventory list that would guide prescriptions.
After breakfast, we set out for the outreach and arrived at the Odoasonyi Primary Healthcare Center around noon. Although the facility was relatively new, it was evident that it had already fallen into some disrepair. We soon learned that much of the essential healthcare support in the area comes from the nearby Abidagba Health Centre — a key initiative of the Women’s Board (ECS) — which serves 33 underserved communities across rural Ijebu-Ode. The centre’s mission, inspired by the teachings of St. Josemaría, is to bring dignity and compassionate care to those often overlooked by society at little or no cost.
We immediately began to set up and had to improvise a lot — you know you’re in the village when patient beds become makeshift dispensing table tops. But everyone was focused on delivering optimal results without complaint. With the help of Dr. Michael Dike and Dr. Nnaemeka Alor, we quickly set up an efficient patient flow — from registration and a brief health talk to vital checks, basic tests, and medical consultations, before patients finally came to the pharmacy, which I managed.
the villagers were able to get much needed medical consultation and attention
It wasn’t long before the place was filled with villagers. I was a little jittery at the start, but with each passing patient, my confidence grew. You could see the sheer joy and relief in their eyes after their consultation; it was a powerful reminder that for many of them, this basic healthcare was a luxury. By the end of the day, our unit had dispensed medications to one hundred and ten (110) people, and the doctors had also referred those with more advanced cases to the general hospital for follow-up.
One particular encounter stood out. An elderly man, deeply grateful for the care he received, gave us money as a token of appreciation and begged us to accept it. He didn’t stop there; he went ahead to invite his friends and family to come for a check-up as well. Gestures like this — realizing that a little act of service could mean the world to someone — bring a kind of satisfaction and joy that is difficult to explain.
In hindsight, I’m more than glad I came for the outreach. The experience was truly worth it. I learned valuable life lessons, faced my fears, and touched lives. The idea that ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact through small acts of love is truly undeniable, and I look forward to doing this more often.