Groups donate 260 crutches to PLWDs

A civil society group, Poverty and Disability Initiatives in Nigeria, in partnership with the New Chance Global Initiative, has donated about 260 elbow crutches to Persons Living With Disabilities in Karonmajigi community of Abuja.

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The group’s Project Manager, Mrs Christiana Okafor, speaking during the distribution of the crutches on Saturday, explained that the purpose was to provide relief, and lift the burden on the PWDs, who could not afford to purchase prostheses and wheelchairs

“We are sharing love, we are sharing passion, we are sharing joy. It is unbelievable the relief you see on the faces of these people. As we tagged it ‘Unburden’, we are actually lifting their burden of having to look for prostheses. Because when you look at them to get a prosthesis like a crutch or a wheelchair, it is quite expensive. And so, when you have this thing and you can give it out to them, you’re actually lifting a lot of loads, a lot of burden from off their shoulders, and it just gives me joy” she stated.

According to the Executive Director of PADIN, Lincoln Oladayo, the initiative was borne out of a desire to inspire persons with disabilities to aim for more and give them hope.

“I was born as a person with a disability, and if you look at the over 30 million Nigerians that are PWDs, we need people to fill in the gap for them. The rate of poverty increases within the range of these persons. But I had the privilege to go to school, so I just woke up one day and I thought it was time for someone to fill in the gap, since talking is no longer enough in Nigeria, and voting alone has become inadequate” he noted.

Also, a representative of the NCGI, Taiwo Awopejo, said that the partnership became necessary to reach communities in Abuja, noting that the group also partnered the Cappagh Hospital in Ireland, to deliver crutches, walking aids, disposable wheelchairs, and some cash donations, to specially help the elderly amongst the PWDs.

Wumi/Punch