Magnus Eze, Enugu

 Enugu-based Bina Foundation has taken charity a notch higher with the love showered on people with special needs as part of activities marking this year’s Christmas.

Those who know the organisation said it has been its annual tradition to celebrate with physically challenged persons, but this year’s outing was extraordinary because of the pomp the introduction of a “home-grown” Father Christmas brought to the event.

Daily Sun gathered that over 500 candidates were undergoing free training in the organisation. At he event, the management of Bina Foundation and family of the candidiates all had a good time.

A medical team comprising expatriates offered free tests and drugs to those who sought medical care.

A spectacular feature of the occasion was when the physically-challenged persons put up various performances. The foundation’s music band, comprising visually challeged instrumentalists and vocalists, rendered highlife and pop music songs. The deaf also rendered Christmas songs with sign language.

The highlights included the provision of lifelines to some of the persons with special needs. The brains behind the foundation, Mr. Chris Atuegwu and his wife, Ifeoma, in their passion for mankind, presented wheelchairs and crutches to some housemates.

Over 500 persons went home witha bag of rice each and an envelope containing some money. The president of the Para-Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Amobi Chikwendu, a director in Bina Foundation, presented the items on behalf of the group.

Some of the beneficiaries of the mobility equipment were Nwaedo Ann Chinelo and Aniekwu Ebere, among others, who were given wheelchairs.

Others were Miss Isiozor Chioma, Mr. Obiora Offor, Miss Edeh Uchechi and many others who received crutches.

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A visually-impaired volunteer teacher with the foundation, Mr. Sunday Njom, who initially received free training at Bina Foundation, in his testimony, said: “I was idle and developed the habit of staying indoors for almost 24 hours in a day, because to live means nothing to me. I was always in a mournful mood, until a friend consoled me and introduced me to Bina Foundation. I was absorbed in the bead-making section of the foundation. The training enabled me to learn the craft very well. As such, I can manufacture various designs very well and now I am teaching others,” he said.

Njom prayed that God would reward the Atuegwus for their noble cause in offering free training to people with disabilities.

In the opening prayers and series of worship songs to start the ceremony, an Anglican priest, Venerable Emeka Ezeji, who represented the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. (Dr.) Emmauel Chukwuma, equally prayed that God would reward the philanthropists for their kind gesture, humanitarian services and various initiatives in lifting the standard of life of people with disabilities in Nigeria.

President/founder of the organisation, Ifeoma Atuegwu, in her speech, recounted the impact the NGO has made locally, nationally and internationally in giving a sense of belonging to people living with disabilities.

She noted that, with technical support from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, the foundation has been able to raise the male and female national blind football teams known as “Star Eagles’ and “Star Falcons.”

The two teams represent Nigeria in international blind football competitions. In fact, the male national blind football team, which came fourth in the African football competition held in Enugu between November 22 and December 1, this year, was groomed at Bina Blind Football Academy.

“We successfully conducted national blind football trials for the formation of the national team, the Star Eagles of Nigeria. At the same time, the female team, the Star Falcons of Nigeria, was named.

“The Star Falcons of Nigeria joined other nations in Japan for the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) women’s blind football camp and games from 20th to 25th February 2019.

“In April this year, we sponsored the African women blind football training camp and games 2019, involving Cameroun, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, which opened the corridor in Africa for women participation in blind football,” she said.

Mrs. Atuegwu expressed gratitude to her husband, who is the chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation, for providing most of the logistics needed to power their operations.