Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A Kaduna-based non-governmental organisation, Tukur and Tukur Foundation on Saturday donated wheelchairs to 13 out-of-school disable children to enable them return to classroom.
The Foundation also offered free medical treatment to about 1,500 less privileged persons at Ungwar Sarki, Kaduna North Local Goverment area of the State.
Donating the wheelchairs to the beneficiaries during the medical outreach, Coordinator of the Foundation, Col. Haruna Idris Zaria (rtd) warned the beneficiaries against the temptation of selling the mobile aid given to them.
His warning was to guide against a repeat of what happened in 2016 when some beneficiaries of similar gesture sold the items while some others used theirs for illicit purposes.
He however said that, the 13 beneficiaries of the new wheelchairs were carefully selected after screaning, and that, they were people who really needed the devices to aid their mobility back to school.
The retired military officer said, his foundation was established to assist the less privileged members of the society, saying that goverment cannot do it alone.
According to him, “As privileged members of the society, we have to rise and assist the goverment. Today, we contributing our own quota as a foundation. We want to assist to stop building a society where people beg for alms.
“We have realised that, if we allow children to grow without education just because they are disabled, they will end up turning to beggars. That is why we are donating wheelchairs to 13 disabled children to enable them go back to school.” He said.
Speaking on the medical outreach, Col. Zaria said, the gesture was to take healthcare to the downtrodden, saying that the outreach covers treatment of malaria, skin diseases, ulcer, and eye illnesses.
Reacting to the gesture, District Head of Gabasawa, Alhaji Shittu Ibrahim commended the foundation, asking other well meaning Nigerians to emulate Tukur and Tukur Foundation to reduce the burden of the less privileged members of the society.
