General Cost Estimate for Trip to Eku, Nigeria
And Suggested Activities for a Volunteer Mission Participant

Off season flights could reduce Air Travel cost by as much as $400.00 to $600.00.

Other cost to consider that are part of a person’s expense would be shots and passport. These could amount to another $500.00 to $600.00, depending on how many shots that you needed to have and what agency administered them.

Passport could be about $100.00.

Vaccinations

• Yellow Fever—recommended every 10 years-required
• Polio is required
• A list of required vaccinations can be acquired from the county health department. The ones that are presently suggested for trips to Nigeria are:
  • Hepatitis A and B: all three dosages over 6 months good for 20 years
  • Meningitis
  • Typhoid
  • Measles
  • Tetanus-Diphtheria or Tetanus Toxoid—recommended every 10 years
  • Schistosomiasis for parasites or worms that attack tissue
  • Malaria (prescriptions can be obtained from your doctor for oral tablets to be taken daily before leaving, during the stay, and for a period after you return.)
• The cost varies depending of which inoculation and how many you need to have. They also vary due to location.

Agenda of Activities:

For doctors:

• Ministering the Love of Jesus in daily contact with all peoples   
• Discussion with hospital doctors about existing patients
• Clinics that would treat new patients depending on doctor’s specialty
• Classes and lectures for the national doctors and residents
• Surgeries as necessary depending on medical needs (knowing the specialty of the doctor will help in notifying the hospital so word can be distributed to those in need.)
• Many children will be available to be treated for various diagnoses.
• Conduct clinics on health wellness and disease prevention for the village and surrounding area.
• Work in the dental and the optical clinics at the hospital
• Vaccinations and inoculations

For nurses:

• Ministering the Love of Jesus in daily contact with all peoples
• Teaching and lecturing at the Nursing School
• Explaining new procedures to nurses and hospital personnel
• Traveling to nearby clinics to vaccinate and treat the children and the elderly
• Supporting the doctors in surgery or treatment centers
• Working as needed in the dental and optical clinics

For Non-Medical personnel:

• Ministering the Love of Jesus in daily contact with all peoples
• Teaching and Lecturing to Pastors, Students, and other groups
• Conduct pastoral and leadership clinics for surrounding churches
• Conduct marriage clinics for the student pastors and wives at the school of theology
• Establish and coach sports activities for the youth
• Conducting work groups to repair facilities and infrastructure at hospital
• Explain and setup as available new systems of technology such as business centers
• Conducting evangelistic outreaches in conjunction with the local churches
• Evangelize through a musical outreach with instruments and singing
• Repair, paint, build, replace screens, remove debris, repair equipment and machines at mission outreach facilities such as hospital, village churches, leper colony, staff and student housing

These are a few of the activities that we see that would benefit the hospital and the people of Eku, Nigeria.

Arrangements can be made to make sure that patients that need the help of a doctor or medical person with a particular specialty would be notified and that service would be available during the mission trip. There is need for all types of specialty. They need dentist, surgeons, internist, pediatrics, OBGYN’s, eyes, internal medicine. There is a large degree of high blood pressure with patients and a growing increase in diabetes.

There is diagnosis of health problems that would keep a team busy when the word is out that they are at the hospital. There is ministering to the existing hospital staff, students, pastors and leaders to teach and lecture on information in which they do not have access.

And most of all there will be the chance to show the love of Jesus to our Christian family as encouragement and to the unbelievers to give them a chance to choose life. There truly is plenty to do that can help “change lives for eternity.”    

(Feb. 2023)