Community and collective reparations: HCRRUN equips the village of Niki Niki with a medical and social centre

As part of the implementation of Recommendation No. 54 of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (CVJR) on community and collective reparations, the High Commission for Reconciliation and Strengthening of National Unity (HCRRUN) held, on August 8, 2023, the handover ceremony for the medical and social centre in the village of Niki Niki, located in the canton of Tchaloudé, in the prefecture of Blitta. The newly inaugurated facility covers an area of 1,300 m² and comprises nine rooms, each dedicated to one of the following services: consultation, treatment, hospitalisation, prenatal care, childbirth, newborn care, rest, vaccination, and on-call duty. The public health facility is fully fenced and also includes a laboratory, a pharmacy, and accommodation for healthcare staff. It is supplied with drinking water from a borehole and powered by solar energy.

The handover ceremony took place in the presence of the President of the HCRRUN, a representative of the Ministry of Health, as well as local and traditional authorities from the prefecture of Blitta.

In her address, the President of the HCRRUN, Ms. Awa Nana-Daboya, commended the determination and political will of the Head of State, H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic, which made the establishment of this infrastructure possible. She was keen to clarify that “the decision to build a medical and social centre was by no means an initiative of the HCRRUN. The construction of this health facility was requested by the people of Niki Niki and the surrounding villages, following several consultations between HCRRUN teams and representatives of the local communities.”

The Prefect of Blitta, who was also present at the ceremony, expressed his gratitude to the HCRRUN, which “for six years has travelled across our country to sow the seeds of forgiveness and reconciliation. With the utmost discretion and without media fanfare, this institution has been soothing hearts wounded by our political divisions. It does so with justice and complete neutrality, regardless of our political affiliations. The medical and social centre standing before us has been built for all Togolese people, because illness has no political affiliation. On behalf of the people of the Prefecture of Blitta and the people of Niki Niki, I would like to take this opportunity, on the occasion of this ceremony, to congratulate and thank the President of the HCRRUN.”

In order to make the centre operational as soon as possible, the HCRRUN will provide the essential basic equipment required to enable healthcare services to begin effectively.