The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Helping

  • Helping the helpless

    Helping the helpless

    Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) has intervened in over 2,000 cases of health challenges since inception and has signed Memorandum of Understanding with 11 public hospitals to provide financial assistance to the needy. Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha writes on HEI’s recent interventions to help needy patients in Lagos. 

    For Mrs. Aina Shittu, whose daughter, Zainab, suddenly slumped and was rushed to the hospital, her joy knew no bound following the assistance by Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Mrs. Shittu recalled that her daughter couldn’t talk or walk or move her limbs: “We took her to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, tests that run up to N10, 000 were prescribed. We gathered all we had and the results were out. The doctor then told us that her condition is medical and not surgical, and we were handed a list of drugs.

    ‘’Although Zainab was on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), it did not cover the drugs that she had to take because the cost was over N5,000 and she must take them daily for six weeks. My husband and I had exhausted all our finances and we were unable to pay for the drugs. It was then someone introduced us to Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), which took over her case and paid for the drugs. Today, I am happy my daughter is alive, hale and hearty.”

    Sara Edet, a young expectant mother and housewife, was in her last trimester when she suddenly began to bleed. She went to the hospital immediately.

    At the hospital, Mrs. Edet recalled that she went for a scan, and the result was not encouraging. After three days, her case was classified as critical and was referred for surgery. “The doctor said something should be done urgently to save the pregnancy. I was taken to a health facility at Surulere, Lagos for another test. By the time we returned for the surgery, we had spent all the money that we had and we had no money again for the surgery. It was the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) that came to my rescue and paid all my bills. I have been safely delivered of my baby. I am so grateful,” said Mrs. Edet.

    They are not the only people that have been assisted by HEI. The NGO believes in – ‘None should die’.

    Another beneficiary, Mrs. Julie Nwokoma, put it in perspective.

    ‘’HEI assists the downtrodden and it is always timely and this is based on my experience,’’ she said.

    She shared how she went to a hospital in Takwa Bay, Lagos and was told she couldn’t have her baby normally. This piece of information left her worried. “I was told my blood pressure was too high and was referred to the Island Maternity, Lagos. When I got there, I was taken to the theatre and told I could settle the bill after the surgery.”

    Mrs. Nwokoma had her baby safely. But three days later when the hospital brought the bill, she was unable to pay. “My husband was out looking for money without success. I had left my children at home for several days, and here I was, in the hospital with a new baby, but unable to go home because we could not settle the bill.”

    Mrs. Nwokoma said she was really worried and upset. “I burst into tears and my blood pressure began to rise again. I was crying. How HEI got wind of my case is still a miracle. They came around. The representatives told me they were from an organisation called the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), for indigent patients and wanted to help. I was very happy. I stayed in that hospital for one month. They paid my bills and I was released. I am grateful.”

    These are testimonies of some Nigerians out of many that HEI helped because they cannot afford healthcare services. They are so poor they cannot afford a square meal a day.

    And that is why NGO is put in place, its Board of  the Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Dr. Ndi Onuekusi explained.

    Onuekusi said HEI has intervened in over 2,000 cases since inception and has signed Memoranda of Understanding with 11 public hospitals so as to render financial assistance to the needy.

    He said: “There are instances of people that cannot be discharged from hospital because they owe as little as N2,000. So many Nigerians are dying because they are unable to pay to obtain treatment even in government hospitals. But there are benevolent Nigerians that set up initiatives and organisations to take care of the medical needs of the indigent such as HEI. HEI can do more if we get sponsors and other financial help from people with human milk of kindness.”

    Shedding light on the mode operandi of the organisation, Onuekusi said the financial provision for healthcare is an area of ignorance in Nigeria.

    “What HEI does is to provide assurance of prompt settlement of bills for the indigent to obtain access to health care in public hospitals.

    “The HEI programme for indigent patients is especially for indigent Nigerians some of who die because they are unable to pay as little as N2, 000 for medical bills. HEI also takes care of patients detained for inability to settle their treatment bills and has intervened in about 150 patients in 20 hospitals. There is no burden whatsoever on the beneficiary. Beneficiaries are decided on the basis of need. This is a needs-based initiative and support only. The beneficiary does not have to register or know anybody, but only has to qualify for the support to be provided.”

    Onuekusi said HEI was raising funds to assist the indigent with health problems. “What HEI does is provide assurance of prompt settlement of bills to obtain access to health care in public hospitals. Medical health care is generally expensive and many die because they cannot afford it. The ordinary medical care is being made available to the indigent by HEI.

    The BoT chair said: “No health system can be functional if it does not obey three basic organisational rules of effectiveness, efficiency and equity. First, it must be effective, that is, it must do what it is supposed to do. Second, it must be efficient by do it at the least cost possible. Third, there must be no discrimination between the rich and poor.”

  • ‘I can’t stop helping the poor’

    ‘I can’t stop helping the poor’

    President of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association Inc., Evangelist Uma Ukpai, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how the renowned ministry has been affecting lives in the last 42 years. Excerpts:

    Your fellowship yesterday was on helping the poor among the poorest. Why did you take up that issue?

    Our society is getting to a place where we are becoming a selfish community and we are unfeeling to the less privileged among us. We have become political lepers. A leper feels no pains or feelings for others.

    A selfish community will have the demon of greed rule but our God blesses people so that each man may protect the weak around him, cover the naked and feed the poor. God blesses us so that we can bless people.

    God is an insightful, strategic planner. He blesses us so that we can bring the mad out of the roads into a place of dignity. The bible teaches that whoever helps the poor has given loan to the poor and God is committed to paying back with interests.

    Worship that does not involve helping the poor is a waste of time. When you give to the poor, your light begins to shine. You see what others cannot see; you see what others see but see hidden treasures. He will let you see gold in a trash.

    God is in the love with the poor for reasons that I cannot say. When we mock the poor, we are mocking God. Every poor person you see around is a gateway to financial blessings and relevance.

    How far has the ministry exemplified this?

    For more than 30 years, we run a free medical outreach. There was a time I was giving all the South East states N10million worth of drugs every year. I did this for over 15 years. I used to have a team of 23 medical doctors from overseas with drugs worth N50million a year.

    I will bring nurses, pharmacists and doctors for the outreach. I have also sited a hospital in my village 15 years ago. Those in villages are so hopelessly poor that no one can make money off them. We now have an eye hospital with six doctors full-time. It is called Uma Ukpai Eye Centre. I send make-up from here regularly to make the hospital run.

    We partner with ophthalmologists overseas that can be part of surgeries via internet should the doctors run into trouble. They now when they run out of salaries, they can run back to me for make-up. I have done this for 18 years.

    It is called King of Kings Specialist Hospital. It serves the people in Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers States.  I have tarred the streets to the two hospitals.

    What is the scholarship scheme all about?

    It is a scheme for 102 undergraduates that run for five years. Once a student is taken in, it runs for five years. There are 102 beneficiaries on board. They are students from UNIUYO. I don’t even know them or where they come from. My job is to make the money available every year. Also, half of the students in our Bible School are on scholarship.

    How about the widows’ support scheme?

    It is not a permanent feature but we do it from day to day. I don’t feel comfortable talking about all we do for widows. This morning, we just sent N200, 000 to a widow whose police husband was killed recently.

    You are working on a Polytechnic. Tell us about it.

    The Polytechnics is on 350 plots of land and the community has just given me 250 additional plots. I intend to erect College of Agriculture for girls. I want to show them how to turn one goat into 20 in one year; one ram into 20; one pig into 100 in one year.

    Women are humble enough for that kind of training. I want our girls to marry out of love, not out of financial pressure. Our women do not need to depend on anybody even when they are married. The Polytechnic is taking off by September. We are offering Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics and Accounting. I intend to have a research centre at the Polytechnics.

    If you notice, we are a consuming nation; we have not been part of human inventions. All the cars we drive are imported; same as our generators and phones. I believe we should be part of the competition, not just consuming. We can create whatever others have created.

    You always encourage people to give. Why is that?

    Everybody has to give to somebody who is poorer. You cannot be the poorest around. If you are a maid in my house, you have a chance of going to the university if you choose to. We will pay your way to university education. About 45 people have passed through us. One is a medical doctor while another is a lawyer. There are many others like that. I believe every help to the poor is a loan to God.

    Where do you get the resources for all these projects considering that you don’t draw tithes and offering like churches?

    That is a question I cannot answer because truly I don’t know myself.  My wife has been asking me to tell her where I get money from and I say, ‘at least we sleep on the same bed every day and so I am not an armed robber.’

    But you will be amazed somebody will just call and say, ‘God has told me to lodge N10million into your account for the next 20 years. Check your account because I have paid for the first three years.’

    And when I want to know the identity, most of the times they say don’t worry about that.

    How do you feel when some churches and leaders do not engage in CSR?

    It all depends on their backgrounds. I lost my father at the age of 10 and my mother was sick for five years. My uncle drove me away in 1958 when the governor visited school. He asked us, the best three students in the school, what we will be in the future.

    I said I will be a preacher, the other said he will be a doctor and the third said he will succeed the governor. To be prominent at that age and asked to answer the governor gave my uncle the hope I will ask for a high-sounding pursuit. So, he sent me away in anger. He said I had no drive and will not waste money on me. He asked me to show him a preacher with good car.

    So, I know what it means to lose a father and be a father from that age. I know what it is to save money to pay school fees. I paid my way to schools. So, I have feelings for the poor. I learnt early enough to know that Satan throws at you can become stepping stones. For me, it is a lifelong commitment; I have signed up to help the poor for the rest of my life.

  • Lending a helping hand

    Lending a helping hand

    Hug For the Needy Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), that caters for widows and orphans, was born last Saturday at Neca Event Hub in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State. SAFIYYAH ABDUR-RAZAQ writes.

    For the President of Hug For the Needy Foundation, Pastor Felix Olorundamilola, it was a day of fulfilment. It was the official launch of the foundation and the celebration of his 50th birthday.

    The NECA Event Hub in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State was tastefully decorated in blue and white for the twin event.

    The celebrator was dressed in black suit, his wife, Oluwafunmilayo, dazzled in black dress and blue jewelry, with matching shoes.

    The Chairman on the occasion, Pastor Peter Oludipe, urged the guests to do good.

    He said: “What you do in life is what people would say about you when you die.”

    The celebrator’s wife assisted him to cut his 50th birthday cake.

    It was followed by the inauguration of the four-member board of trustees for the foundation.

    Inaugurating the board, Pastor Oludipe said: “The poor would never cease to exist in the land. It is part and parcel of this day. I pray that God should use you to be a blessing to people around you.”

    The celebrator appreciated his guests for coming and said he was using the opportunity of his birthday to make the foundation public and to raise funds.

    He said: “The foundation was founded in October 2009 and has been running on private funding. I am using the occasion of the birthday to make it as public as it can be and to inaugurate the members of the board of trustees.

    He said he feels great, good and happy that he is able to make 50.

    “I have always thought of 50 as too far. Now that I have made it, I am grateful,” he said.

    He said he is not completely fulfilled because his foundation has not been thriving as much as he would like.

    He said the NGO has been using private funds in the past five years, noting that it needs to attract public funds and philanthropic organisations to help it.

    He urged Nigerian youths not to lose hope easily.

    “Nigerian youths should not lose hope. They should not give up. There are public-spirited people out there that are ready to assist,” he said.

    The board of trustees Chairman, Pastor Simeon Afolabi  said the foundation was established to assist the widows, helpless and the needy in the society.

    “The foundation is there to lend them a helping hand and provide for their basic needs”

    He described the celebrator as a man that has passion for the poor and needy in the society.

  • Giving a helping hand to the elderly

    Giving a helping hand to the elderly

    A non-governmental organisation, Ewenla Socio-Cultural Foundation recently extended a helping hand to the elderly in Ode Remo, Ogun State through its ‘care for the elderly project’,  ERNEST NWOKOLO was there.

    Succour came the way of the elderly – men and women, of the seedy Ode Remo community in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State recently as no fewer than 1000 of them benefited from the ‘care for the elderly project’ of the Ewenla Socio – Cultural Foundation (ESCF), a non – governmental organisation.

    For over six hours, they were the centre of affection and care at the Ode Remo Town Hall where they were hosted. Scores of the elderly men had their hairs neatly barbed free of charge by tested barbers in the community while their women counterparts also had theirs plaited or weaved by stylists and hairdressers that made a good number of them wore younger looks than the true age.

    Food items, detergents, toiletries among others were also packaged and given to each as take – home.

    Many of the elderly women and men also received free medical tests and treatment.

    Among the medical tests conducted by the medical teams from University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) include test for HIV, visual acuity, screening for cataracts and glaucoma – and no fewer than 40 of them were found to be suffering from cataracts.

    And while they savoured light food in wait for the real thing, health workers from UCH and OOUTH, using local language sensitized them on how to care or manage old age, save their eyes from going blind with age and on cancer awareness.

    Dr. Adedayo Afolabi of the Department of Public Health, OOUTH, who spoke on cancer,  advised the women to check their breasts for early detection of cancer of the breast at the early stage.

    Afolabi explained that if cancer is detected early, it would be easy to get rid of it quickly and warned that if allowed to linger in the body, it could result in a terminal health challenge.

    He said: “Let all women stand before the mirror and examine their breasts frequently at least once a month. Run your left hand on the right breast and vice versa to check if there is any lump. If you detect any strange thing, report to the doctor in the hospital.”

    He also pointed out that men too could detect on their own if prostate cancer is developing in their male organ, saying should they begin to experience strain in the urinary tract or finding it difficult to urinate, they should quickly see a surgeon for medical check-up.

    The Chairperson of ESCF, Chief (Mrs.) Folashade Filani, a philanthropist, who facilitated the programme in conjunction with the Ode Remo Development Council (ODC), presented awards to eight aged people for excellent and meritorious performance in their various trades and professions within the community.

    Those conferred with awards are the octogenarian, Alhaja Sauli Sonuyi, a traditional midwife, Pa Olagade Oluyide (Bricklayer of old times) and Alhaji Adebisi Bello (Posthumous award, Butcher of old times).

    Chief Filani said she set – up the Foundation to empower the indigent members of Ode Remo community irrespective of their ages, including giving of scholarship to students, and advised the wealthy and corporate bodies to lend helping hands.

    Citing the case of 40 people having cataracts, she said it cost an average of N15,000 to carry out a surgery for the removal of the problem from a sufferer, adding that if more persons support the cause, the operation could be performed to restore the sight of the affected people.

    The town’s traditional head, Oba Adetunji Osho (Owadaniyan11), who chaired the event, urged his subjects home and in the Diaspora, to use their God – given wealth to bless the less fortunate members of the community.

    Osho lauded Mrs Filani for “bringing succour to the elderly,” making them to once again feel loved and have a sense of “belonging to the rest of the active members of the community.”

    Oba Osho said: “whatever blessing or wealth God gave you, use it to empower others. You are only a custodian of God’s gift of wealth in your hand. When you use it to develop others, you gain more blessings.”

    In the reckoning of the monarch, the woman philanthropist should not only be “emulated,” but also supported by individuals and the government to impact more on the indigents.

    Also, billionaire hotelier, Prince Buruji Kashamu, who was a special guest, enjoined those who aspire longevity, to cultivate the habit of caring for the aged members of the society.

    Kashamu who was represented by Mrs Ibilola Osilaja, said the aged are mothers and fathers of the younger ones, whose prayers are potent force that could attract more blessings and long life for those who care for them.

    The chieftain of the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) who supported the project with food items, said there was the need for the young ones to attend to the needs of the aged, especially those who can’t help themselves.

  • Helping hands

    Helping hands

    •Caring for the victims of fundamentalist militancy is vital to lasting peace

    As the Federal Government presses ahead with its efforts to resolve the problem of Islamic insurgency, it is vital that measures be taken to assist the women and children whose lives have been negatively affected by the conflict.

    They fall into two main groups. The first constitutes those who are relatives of the murderous bombing and shooting campaign of Boko Haram and other militant groups. The second is made up of the spouses and offspring of the militants themselves. Even though it would appear that they are positioned at opposite ends of the conflict, it is clear that they share more similarities than differences.

    For instance, both groups of women and children are passive observers rather than active participants. While the innocence of the relations of Boko Haram’s victims is beyond doubt, even those who are related to the perpetrators of terrorist acts appear to have been absolved of complicity in the actions of the insurgents. This was confirmed by a government announcement in May releasing several relations of Boko Haram operatives who had been apprehended by the Joint Task Force.

    Regardless of whether they are related to the insurgency’s victims or its operatives, the plight of these women and children is truly pitiful. Deprived of breadwinners, often ostracised or ignored by the rest of society, and nursing grievous physical and psychological scars, their situation further aggravates the trauma of a vicious conflict that has spared nobody.

    To make matters worse, it appears that there are few comprehensive efforts to ensure that those who have been adversely affected by the activities of the insurgents are properly rehabilitated. Many relatives of the victims have consistently complained of abandonment by both the Federal Government and the relevant state governments.

    In April, the Christian Elders Forum of Northern States expressed dismay at the apparent willingness of the Federal Government to grant Boko Haram amnesty without saying anything about compensation for the victims of its violence. Also, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki, said government could only offer “support” to the victims, although it would compensate the families of soldiers who had been killed in fighting the militants.

    The anti-insurgency campaign cannot be won if those affected through no fault of their own are left to their own devices. Indeed, it might lead to a hardening of attitudes which could ultimately strengthen the cause of the insurgents. The vacuum created by the absence of resolute government action is very likely to be filled by those who hope to turn the inevitable anger and despair to their own ends.

    A comprehensive rehabilitation plan would incorporate two broad elements. The first is the provision of immediate and short-term succour relating to relocation and the provision of emergency relief, housing and counselling. The second deals with the resolution of less-immediate issues. One of the most important of these has to do with the education of the children. A far-reaching education programme for them is vital. It would solve several problems simultaneously: it would occupy them, counter radical ideas and vengeful notions, and properly equip them for the future. As for the women, training in a range of life skills and the provision of grants or soft loans would help them attain the financial independence that they need.

    Rehabilitation plans of this sort could become the launch-pad for the development of a far-reaching social welfare programme that would seek to address the long-standing deprivation that confronts the majority of Nigeria’s citizens. By seeking to even out the outrageous gap between the rich and the poor, it would help to ensure greater socio-economic stability and a corresponding reduction in sectarian violence.

     

  • U.S. should focus on helping Egyptians protect their freedoms

    U.S. should focus on helping Egyptians protect their freedoms

    IN EGYPT’S secular society, conventional wisdom holds that the United States is backing the Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi and reconstructing with his Muslim Brotherhood the corrupt relationship it once had with strongman Hosni Mubarak. For the most part, it’s an untrue and unfair story. But the fact that so many prominent and well-educated Egyptians believe it is an indication of how the Obama administration is failing to conduct or even articulate a coherent policy for post-revolutionary Egypt.

    Egyptians who believe in the Morsi-as-American-client theory point to his close cooperation with President Obama during last year’s fighting between Israel and Hamas, the announcement of $250 million in fresh economic aid by Secretary of State John F. Kerry during a visit to Cairo last month, and Washington’s low-key response to Mr. Morsi’s violations of democratic order. Mr. Morsi, like Mr. Mubarak before him, seems to be allowed a free hand to repress opponents and concentrate power in exchange for keeping peace with Israel and cooperating in hot spots such as the Gaza Strip.

    The reality is that the United States is not so much propping up Mr. Morsi’s government as it is flailing in its attempts to build a working relationship with it and exert influence. While U.S. cooperation with the Egyptian military, which has walled itself off from the civilian government, remains strong, there has been little in the way of strategic cooperation between the administration and Mr. Morsi in recent months. A proposed visit by the president to Washington was twice postponed and is now on hold.

    Mr. Kerry’s aid announcement was aimed at coaxing Mr. Morsi into finalizing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail out Egypt’s crumbling economy. U.S. officials hoped the pact would serve the political purpose of forcing the Islamists to compromise with the secular opposition to win public toleration of IMF-mandated austerity measures. But Mr. Morsi short-circuited that strategy by seeking, and quickly winning, $5 billion in aid from Qatar and Libya — funds that should allow the government to avoid both an IMF deal and a financial collapse before October, when new parliamentary elections are now expected.

    With the Arab money in hand, Mr. Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders appear increasingly disinclined to heed advice, appeals or even criticism from Washington. A proposed law that would eviscerate civil society groups and ban congressionally funded organizations such as the National Democratic Institute from operating in Egypt is moving forward. Senior leaders have been spewing anti-American rhetoric. An expression of concern by the State Department about a criminal case brought against a television satirist prompted an angry response from the ruling party.

    The right way for the administration to regain its footing in Egypt is neither to pivot toward backing the secular opposition nor to seek accommodation with the government. Instead, the United States should have a policy centered on widening and preserving the democratic opening that followed the 2011 revolution. The administration should speak more, including from the White House, when free speech, free assembly or free elections are threatened; it should find ways to continue and increase its support for Egypt’s civil society. It should reach out more to opposition leaders, while making clear to them and to the military that non-peaceful means for challenging Mr. Morsi’s government are unacceptable.

    In short, the United States should worry less about influencing or cooperating with Mr. Morsi’s government and more about helping Egyptians defend liberal values.

    Washington Post

     

  • Helping mothers on kids’ clothes

    Helping mothers on kids’ clothes

    Kids never stop growing. As they grow, their clothes get more expensive, which means you need to keep shopping for them. Here are some tips to help out with the cost of clothing your children, SULIAT LAMID and OMOLARA MOFESOLA OMONIYI write.

     

    These days, many stores engage in sales since it is one of the major ways to attract buyers. A shopper seen at a kiddies store at Allen Avenue, Ikeja said: “I always watch out for the sales period of my favourite stores. There are many of them in major shopping malls and they stock quite a variety of items.”

    An economist, Dr Biodun Adedipe, advised that parents take their children along while shopping for them. “Make your shopping list with them and let them know their shopping limit. By this, I mean the highest amount they are permitted to spend. Let them understand why you cannot buy a particular item for them,” he said.

    Many stores reduce prices to make room for the next season, so you could even buy a season ahead. Try shopping online. It is often easier to make comparisons.

    For those teens and pre-teens who labels are important to, try buying the basics at discount stores. Teach your child to shop around and buy on sale. If they desire something more than what you have budgeted, offer to pay a portion and let them use their own allowance for the rest.

    According to a mother, Mrs Olusola Omoniyi, struggling parents shop right for their children because they have eyes for the future. Mostly, girls’ dresses have more variety of colours than boys’, and their clothes are relatively more expensive. We really need to buy good clothes for our kids to make them look good and presentable’.

    Moreover, the weather condition should be considered while buying clothes. People in the tropical regions of the world like Nigeria would feel more comfortable in cotton dresses than in silk or rayon. They should also be light and open ended in order to allow air into such a child’s body but it should not be too exposed so as to avoid health hazards. Body odour, rashes and extreme sweat are results of extreme heat from thick clothes.

    Clothes, if not carefully selected, can become a symbol of child abuse. Cotton and light clothes are discovered to absorb heat. During rainy season, clothes should be warm and thick.

    Another function of clothes apart from covering one’s nakedness is to beautify. Therefore, the colour of the clothes should be considered when blending them together. For example, buying dark coloured clothes alone for a dark child makes the child look moody, bright clothes should also be worn. Colourful clothes with flowered patterns will make a child look attractive and endearing.

    Even babies that are fair in complexion need colourful and bright coloured clothes to make them look more attractive. Generally, most baby clothes in the market are colourful. However, when suits are being bought for boys, black coloured ones are preferable. Most boys’ trousers come in dark colours like black, ash and navy blue but the shirts or tops should be bright and match the colours of the trousers. Wrong colour combination should be completely avoided.

    Some parents consider buying native clothes for their kids unnecessary. It is very good and advisable to buying native clothes for children. With this, they are indirectly being educated on culture. The introduction of native clothes for them will also make them stand out among their pairs.

    It is not a hidden fact that some parents who cannot afford expensive clothes step down to purchase all grades of ‘tokunbo’ clothes. Even though they are relatively cheap, they could pose health hazards to the children. If you have to get these clothes, make sure they are disinfected and washed clean before putting them on your kids.

    The female kids can jazz up their looks with trendy pieces including necklaces, wrist watches, bags, shoes, bracelets, hair bows, hats and belts to give them that exceptional look e ignored when shopping. Whilst the male ones can add wrist watches, shoes and other accessories to their outfit.