Tag: Tabitha-Abimbola Foundation

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Tabitha-Abimbola Foundation, has distributed wheelchairs, mattresses, diapers, food items and learning devices to 100 children with special needs in care homes across Lagos State.

Founder, Abimbola Agbebiyi, said the gesture was to commemorate Christmas celebration in Ketu, Lagos State.

She said: “Christmas symbolises love, giving and this is our own little way of expressing our love to a group of people we hold so dear, the children with special needs. We want these less privileged children to have the same experience.

‘’We want them to experience and enjoy the fun that Christmas season brings. We want them to also have that opportunity to have fun, just like their other privileged counterparts in the rest of the world.

‘’We must celebrate with special needs children. We are not just celebrating with them, we also want to draw attention of governments and of people to the challenges these children are battling with.” Agbebiyi, an award winning journalist with TVC, said taking care of a child was not something one should take lightly, ‘’let alone when it comes to taking care of special needs children.

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She added: “I have had the opportunity to visit some homes in Lagos, and I walked out of those homes crying, seeing these children in that state. It is a whole lot to take care of children who have special needs, and basically this event is to draw attention to the challenges they are facing.

‘’Today we are giving out assisted learning devices; we are giving out some mobility devices (some wheelchairs) and we also have some packages for cerebral palsy children in there. We are happy to be their hands and feet.

‘’So, a lot of them were carried here by at least three caregivers, struggling to move a child with special needs. But this afternoon, they are all moving out of here in their wheelchairs. I may not have the power to give them the ability to walk, but what I can give them are these wheelchairs.”

The founder, who appreciated support from individuals and groups, said the foundation also distributed food packages to the less privileged to celebrate the season.

She said children with special needs filled some orphanages, having been abandoned by their parents, adding that some husbands deserted their wives, because of children with special needs.

According to her, the foundation focuses on empowering indigent women and less privileged children.

Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, who commended the founder for her calling, said everyone had a responsibility to create happiness for the needy.

 Describing the gesture as laudable, Ogunlende said the ministry was in custody of over 15 government homes and orphanages and the custodian of over 200 private registered homes and orphanages in Lagos.

 “It is important to mention that as a government, we are aware that we cannot do it alone. We are aware that there is power in collaboration.

There is no other way to start Christmas than to celebrate with the less privileged and the disabled kids. If different NGOs continue to do something like this, it is a renewed hope for them.

We see what the Tabitha Foundation is doing and we are ready to support and encourage them,” the commissioner said.

 The Chairman of Ikosi Isheri Local Council Development Area, Samiat Bada, hailed  the foundation and pledged her commitment to improving the condition of children with special needs.

 The Head of Speech Pathology and Special Education Unit of Federal Neuro–psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Temitope Amodu, challenged parents of children with special needs to always engage them at home.

Parents of the beneficiaries including Grace Akinsanya and Florence Adebanjo, took turns in gratitude to offer prayers for the founder, saying they were going through a lot to cater for children with special needs.’’

…as foundation holds charity walk for World Food Day

The Founder of the Tabitha-Abimbola Foundation, Ms. Abimbola Agbebiyi, has voiced her support for declaring a state of emergency in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

She said her stance is driven by the growing challenges in food production, rising food prices, and the deteriorating living conditions faced by millions of Nigerians.

Agbebiyi made this appeal during a charity walk titled “Right for Food for a Better Life and a Better Future,” organized by the Tabitha-Abimbola Foundation in partnership with Mile 12 International Market to mark World Food Day.

The walk began at the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, with participants marching along Allen Avenue, holding placards with messages such as “Food is Life,” “No More Hunger,” “Let Us Act, Let Us Protect, Let Us Feed the Hungry,” and “Zero Hunger Makes Communities Strong.”

According to her, neighborhood watch officials helped manage traffic during the event, which also included the distribution of food items to communities around Ogba.

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In her address to participants, Agbebiyi stressed the urgency of Nigeria’s food security crisis, stating, “Nigeria is currently facing a severe food security challenge. I recently read a World Bank report indicating that over a million more Nigerians are now experiencing extreme food insecurity.”

She attributed much of the crisis to environmental factors such as recurring flooding, desertification, and drought, which have ravaged farmlands across Nigeria’s northern and middle-belt regions.

“Violence stemming from herdsmen-farmer clashes, banditry, and terrorism has further displaced farmers and left fields barren” she lamented.

She further emphasized that agriculture is vital to the country’s development and economic recovery. “We recognize that agriculture is key to our national development and economic recovery. Government must work with all stakeholders to ensure that food production increases and that our farmers receive the support they need,” she said.

During the charity walk, the foundation distributed free food to those in need. One of the beneficiaries, a hairstylist, Elizabeth Ikechukwu expressed gratitude, saying, “This is the first time in six years since I moved to Lagos that I have benefited from such a kind gesture. If more people extended their hands to the needy, Nigeria would be a better place.”

Another recipient, Ore Olawuyi, a graduate, also shared her appreciation and said that the support meant a lot in these difficult times. “Things are so hard right now, and every act of kindness counts for many families,” she said, offering prayers for the foundation’s continued efforts