About Us

A Few Words

About Us

Rural Community Medical Outreach and Enlightenment Foundation (RUCOMEF) is the medical arm of Christian Missionary Foundation (CMF) –a Christian humanitarian NGO that was established in May, 1982. One of the events that led to the establishment of CMF in the first place was a medical outreach that was held in May 1981 in Idere, Oyo state in response to a Guinea worm challenge in the land. Sieves were distributed freely for people to sieve their water with, in order to eliminate Cyclops (the intermediate host for Guinea worm) and break the Guinea worm cycle. Those infested with the worm also had their wounds dressed. Since inception of CMF, the medical arm has been involved in several medical activities, including;

  • Free Medical/Surgical outreaches and health education in hundreds of communities within and outside Nigeria
  • Training of thousands of Traditional Birth Attendants and Village Health Workers in Oyo state and FCT Nigeria
  • Establishment of two highly subsidized rural health centres
  • Intervention in an infanticide practice in North Central Nigeria

In order to give the work better coverage and greater impact, the CMF Medical department was registered as an independent NGO in 2018, with the name Rural Community Medical Outreach and Enlightenment Foundation (RUCOMEF).

What We Do

RUCOMEF aims to create and support efforts in making health care services available to all.

Health Awareness
There’s a systemic and deep level of ignorance, and poor health habits among the rural poor of Africa. RUCOMEF has committed herself to make the necessary health sensitization, education and awareness a major part of her activities, especially in the area of preventive health. We achieve this through health outreaches and talks, public sensitization programs, publications, and documentaries.
Health Advocacy
Through various campaigns and movements, RUCOMEF intends to influence key parties that promote health care and its access in various communities. We serve as health advocates for the rural poor by supporting and championing the rights of patients in rural communities to help build improved community health capacity and enhance health policy initiatives focused on available, safe, and quality care.
Free Medical /Surgical Outreaches
Many rural communities in Africa have a very high disease burden and poor access to health care services. When such health facilities are available, they’re often unaffordable, resources overstretched, and health personnel inadequate. RUCOMEF tries to fill in this gap by offering free medical/surgical outreaches to many rural communities. So far, thousands of rural patients have had free outpatient medical consultations/ treatment, with hundreds of them getting free surgeries. The plan is to extend our reach, such that in the nearest future millions of patients would be reached with adequate medical care.
Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)/Village Health Workers (VHWs) Training
Most women in the rural communities deliver at home or with untrained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). It's no surprise then that 800 women in every 100,000 die from pregnancy induced causes. In trying to reduce this high maternal and infant mortality rates, RUCOMEF trains TBAs and VHWs in order to ensure clean and safe deliveries. Necessary effects and materials needed for their practice are also duly provided, and these local midwives are well tutored to deliver accordingly. Thousands of TBAs have been trained so far.
Community/Women Empowerment
Poverty abounds in many rural communities of Africa and women/ children are often the most hit. RUCOMEF has embarked on poverty alleviation schemes, with a goal of empowering rural women with necessary entrepreneurial skills to support their means of livelihood. We have recorded great success in this regard already.
Intervention in harmful traditional health practices
Africa still contains many backward communities and regions, where due to ignorance, they indulge in several harmful traditional health practices. These practices include; Female Genital Mutilation, Early child marriages, Infanticides etc. RUCOMEF is committed to partnering with necessary agencies to carry out thorough sensitization and appropriate interventions to curb these practices. We strongly believe that through consistent education and advocacy, many of these backward practices could be quickly abolished.
Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs)
Many children are orphaned and vulnerable to harm in most of these rural areas
owing to several factors related to disease, poverty, and insecurity. Care for these children is an integral part of our Mission statement. RUCOMEF has embarked on partnership with other organisations to care for OVCs through education, advocacy, rescue, and sustainable healthcare services. We ensure that necessary educational materials and tools needed for their studies and growth are provided to improve their chances of learning and understanding.

Our Mission

RUCOMEF aims to create and support efforts in making health care services available to all. Among other things, we also seek to:

Provide free/subsidised primary & community health care.

Offer health education and sensitization in rural communities.Carry out free/subsidised medical and surgical outreaches in rural areas.

Care for orphans and vulnerable children, by providing free child and adolescent health services.

Give health enlightenment and empowerment to rural women.

Intervene into harmful traditional health practices.

0

Communities

0 +

Free Surgeries

0 +

Outpatients

0 +

Volunteers