Last Sunday was a happy one for students of the Vocational Centre for the Blind Oshodi run by the Federal Society for the Blind as they learnt they would all be getting new guide sticks.
The good news was a pledge by Mr Olajide Adediran, chairman, Jandor Foundation, in commemoration of his 41st birthday.
At N12,000, principal of the school, Mr Nicholas Obot, said the guide stick was a luxury for many of the school’s 50 students as not all could afford to buy one despite being essential for their mobility.
Obot thanked Adediran for spending his special day with the visually-impaired rather than in some fancy restaurant with glamorous people.
He said many of the students of the centre were graduates or professionals who got blind and came for one or two-year rehabilitation programme at the centre.
He said the 63-year old school got no assistance from the Federal Government save the land on which it was built. He added that he stopped going to Abuja to collect the government’s annual N40,000 convention years ago because the trip cost more than the money.
“The centre is a run as Non-Governmental Organisation and not owned by the Federal Government. The Federal Government gave us this land. Other than that, nothing at all. I am the oldeset member of staff of the centre. I have spent 25 years here. The Federal Government gives us an annual subvention of N40,000 and told us to go to Abuja to collect it. But a long time ago the management of the centre told me to stop going to Abuja because I could go to the Ministry of Social Mobilisation and be told the Permanent Secretary was not around and I would have to wait and spend money on hotel to get the money,” he said.
However, Obot thanked former Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, for renovating and equipping this school, as well as giving a monthly subvention of N100,000 from his own personal salary during his tenure.
Apart from guide canes, Obot said the school could use assistance in the provision of laptops with appropriate software for the visually –impaired; braille machine, and even scholarship to cover tuition and living expenses of the students.
A senior instructor at the centre, Mr Adeolu Adeleke, also appeared for job opportunities for the graduates, while one of the visually-impaired students appealed to Adediran to build a mosque for the school.
In his remarks, Adediran thanked members of the foundation for coming up with the idea that he spent his birthday at the school as it gave him joy.
He promised to build the mosque as well as implement any other project agreed upon with the school authorities.
“Nothing gladdens my heart more than to see people I work and move with also understand my nature that no amount of material gift could be greater than this.
“I am happy to associate with you today. I have decided to give the number of people here guide sticks and I am told that there are 50 of you,” he said.
One of the students who stole the hearts of many at the event with her sonorous voice, Maryam Galadima, thanked Adediran for the gesture.
“It is really amazing; we are grateful. I personally, my guide stick got spoilt and N12,000 is not easy to come buy so I am happy. When we move around without guide sticks, people do not know how to help us but with the guide stick, they assist better,” said the former student of Gombe State University, who became blind as a result of meningitis.
Govt should do more for the blind, says student
Maryam Galadima was studying Sociology at the Gombe State University when a bout of meningitis robbed her of her sight.
After graduating from the Vocational Centre for the Blind next week, she plans to return to school – this time to study Mass Communication for a future career on radio.
She seeks a society with infrastructure that better supports people with visual impairment – like good roads; braille signs in public places so they can be less dependent on people.
“Government can do a lot more. Our roads are not blind-friendly. There are places that are pathway for pedestrians but you find cars packed there. I have fallen into a ditch before because of the roads,” she said.
“I also want the ATM to have braille as part of their features. I asked someone to help me withdraw once only for me to get alert that he transferred the money to his own account,” she said.
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