Centre for mentally ill persons Amaudo Itumbauzo in Bende Local Government area of Abia state which has now metamorphosed into Amaudo integrated community mental health foundation was founded in 1989 by a dedicated British social worker, Rosalind Nkechi Colwill.
The exit of this rare gem from the centre as a result of a devastating ill health that struck her was a development that almost rocked the continued existence of this strategic mental healthcare centre that was popularly revered for rehabilitating mentally ill persons picked from the streets.
In the part one of this perusing interview with Hanto Daily News, the current Director of the centre, the Very Rev. Kenneth Nwaubani speaks on how the centre which has rehabilitated over two thousand persons has kept the light aglow despite the initial apathy exhibited by friends of the centre when the founder left Nigeria
The interview:
Question ——-
Good afternoon Sir. May we meet you.
Ans ——
My name is Very Rev. Kenneth Nwaubani, Director, Amaudo integrated community mental health foundation. I am a clergy of the Methodist Church Nigeria. I’m a graduate that has attended other courses in mental health. They include PGD, mental health Law in India (2014), PGD in public mental health, University of Cape Town, South Africa and other strategic training.
Question ——-
Could you let us into a brief history of the centre.
Ans ——-
Amaudo was established in 1989 by Sister Rosalind Colwill through Methodist Church Nigeria. Sister Colwill was a social worker at Uzuakoli leprosy rehabilitation centre when she conceived the idea and vision to serve humanity in the area of mental health.
This followed the increase in the number of mentally ill persons that were roaming the streets homeless. She approached the Methodist Church and shared her vision. After doubts and reservations as to the workability of the idea, the Church accepted and encouraged her to secure a place at Itumbauzo community to host the project at a period that people stigmatized people with mental illness. Indeed, she had gone to other communities in Bende that rejected hosting the project
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Question —–
Rosalind Colwill is no longer here in Abia. Where’s she.
Ans ——-
Sister Rosalind Colwill who we also known as Nkechi is from the United Kingdom. She lived in Nigeria for a greater number of her life, spoke our language, ate our food and was even awarded a chieftaincy title by a community in Uzuakoli. However, at a time, she took ill and had some deformity and that affected her strength to continue to work. She was taken to London.
After treatment and rehabilitation, she came back and continued but wasn’t as strong as before. At this juncture, she opened another centre called Ozuzuoke spiritual centre at Umuhuezechi. This centre came as a result of the encounter she had which reminded her that there is a place for God in humanity and the need for spiritual reflection.
However, between 2013 and 2014 as her health deteriorated, she was flown to London for further treatment, courtesy of her health insurance company in the UK and her family.
On recovery, she wanted to return to Nigeria but was stopped by the family that stated that she needed more adequate care. So from 2014 till date she has been in London. She is still alive.
Question ——
How did the lot fall on you?
Ans ——
It’s God’s plan and out of circumstances. Sometimes we assume positions. I was posted to Amaudo from Abuja where I served as the chaplain of the Methodist Archbishop of Abuja, the Most Rev Ebere Nze. You know what it means to be a chaplain to an Archbishop in the best City in Nigeria. It gave me a lot of exposure and the opportunity to meet with important personalities. We were conducting services at the state House chapel where the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo worshipped.
So, when the posting came, it was a kind of mixed feelings and reactions among people. Some even insinuated that I committed some crimes. Some even asked whether there was no other church where I can be posted to. Infact, they saw the posting as punishment.
However, with my wife, we returned to Umuahia and proceeded to Amaudo. Before then, I have never been to Itumbauzo. It was a remote area with dilapidated roads and an environment not very friendly. I recall when some Doctors from Enugu and some student nurses visited, they asked my wife what happened that I was posted to this rural area. 
Indeed, I came to this centre as an Assistant. When the then Head, the Very Rev Timothy Ogbonna was transferred, I became the Acting welfare officer under the board chairmanship of Bishop Edeh. At this point, the church felt that they should give this small boy the opportunity to see what he can do. I wasn’t the most senior minister as I was only two years old in the priesthood with so many above me. Sister Colwill whom I always met while she was still around mentored me to understand the mission and workings of the centre. Knowing how tedious the centre is, she kept insisting that I must observe my leave and rest, saying “Amaudo is a monster. It is a huge work”
To head a project where a White Lady has successfully led is not an easy task. It was a challenge.
Question —
So go ahead, how did you cope.
Ans ———
It was very complex, when you take into consideration those in the centre, the church, the community etc. But I must give credit to Sister Colwill in particular and others who encouraged me when I began.
There was this big barrier/ challenge. The silence of those who supported Sister Colwill. Sometimes when I go to where Sister had gone for assistance, I will be inundated with questions where she. Many at this point stopped their usual assistance. However, this retreat compelled me to start growing our own home support by bringing back confidence of the people through quality service.
Taking over a project from Sister Rosalind Colwill who had charismatic approach to service and fund raising was huge challenge. Local people respected her white color. For international funders, she was a known person with skill, experience, good outcome and integrity. You see that it was difficult for me because I didn’t know anything about mental health. The people local wanted to see the white woman so as to give support to Amaudo and the foreign funders where interested in her experience and if they can trust the new leader. Some funders gradually withdrew their support to Amaudo but Amaudo UK continued to support me, although they were also concerned about my capabilities until when they visited Amaudo in 2014 for project review, they confirmed that they have the right person who have set standards that can not be pulled down because they were amazed by the massive renovation we achieved through thier support. One of them exclaimed”We have seen the standard which nobody can pull down”. Indeed, Amaudo UK has remained the backbone of Amaudo Nigeria.
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It must be pointed out that at this period they visited, we had carried out massive renovation of all the buildings. Within two years we able to completely reroof with long span sheets and renovate the entire 21 buildings in the compound. People thought it was impossible when we started but I had confidence that God will do it for the centre. This provided the needed serene environment for good mental healthcare services.
Also we embarked on and completed the conversion of the 48 pit toilets into modern toilet with water system facilities. Apart from these we also completed the reticulation of water in the premises from the only point that had existed in the past. This was followed by the installation of higher capacity water storage tank.
Question —-
How did you exactly survive during this period that many foreign assistances were no longer coming?
Ans ——
With Amaudo UK becoming the only reliable foreign partner as a result of certain issues regarding other partners,we decided to sell the project to the locals. For instance, Dr Ure Lekweuwa who happens to be an Abia born US based psychiatrist was once commissioned by the T.A.Orji administration to evaluate and assess mental health services in the state. When the report came out, she recommended Amaudo to the state government as the best and reliable rehabilitation centre government can invest on. This was after she visited FMC, and Mgboko. She saw Amaudo as very focused, organized and with the best practice in mental healthcare, especially,in rehabilitation.
She however recommended that the road leading to the centre be first rehabilitated. (I don’t know whether this issue was responsible for the non-implementation of the report).
However, after sometime, this Great Abian, Dr Lekweuwa, having seen the mention health services to her hometown Abiriba, requested to know from me where she can assist the centre through her foundation.
I demanded for a hostel where student nurses can always stay during their internship. Though she said the project was too big, she however completed the 48 bedded hostel equipped with modern accommodations facilities. This project gulped over sixty million naira.
Let me also let you know that there are also other local organizations helping the centre today.
Question ——
Are there other steps taken to ensure the comfort of inmates?
Ans —–
To us, sustainability is key to what we are doing. We have to engage in agriculture because food is key to rehabilitation. Somebody under mental rehabilitation cannot be kept hungry. We envisaged what is happening today in terms of prices and availability of food. We were aware that there might be a time getting food donations might be difficult. So we resorted to farming. Today we are engaged in massive agriculture with the help of the host community that provided a large expanse of land for the purpose.
Right now, we are involved in cassava, Palm oil, vegetable farming, poultry and other forms of animal husbandry.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN THE NEXT EDITION.
