England charity to offer lifelines to visually-impaired Nigerians
By Silas Nwoha
An England-based charity, Seeing Hearts Foundation, has commenced due diligence in Lagos and Ibadan on how to assist a cross-section of Nigerians who are visually-impaired.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the initiative is being spear-headed by a Briton of Nigerian extraction, Ms Tope Songonuga.
NAN also learnt that the endeavour will be extended to other cities in Southwestern Nigeria in due course, to give hope to millions of people with visual impairments.
Records show that an estimated 4.25 million people in Nigeria have visual impairment issues with cataract and glaucoma identified as dominant and the main cause of blindness in the West African countries.
In a telephone interview with a NAN correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, Songonuga, the Chief Executive Officer of Seeing Hearts Foundation, confirmed that her team had been putting things together to move into the field in Lagos and Ibadan.
She, however, pointed out that the foundation had been supporting visually-impaired people in the two cities since 2022, noting that more people would be captured to benefit from the initiative soon.
According to her, the project is being coordinated with other strategic partners of the foundation, including Mrs Funmi Adetola-Francis and Miss Boluwaseto Adenuga.
“Our vision is to create a world where everyone has equal access to information, opportunities and experiences, regardless of their level of vision.
“This vision is being manifested through the provision of practical support to the visually-impaired, to ensure that individuals with visual impairments have the financial resources they need to lead independent, fulfilling and dignified lives.’’
The chief executive officer said that the foundation’s vision encompassed holistic and multi-faceted approaches with five key pillars to change the lives of virtually-impaired people for the better.
According to her, the pillars include using education to empower people with visual impairments.
Songonuga said that the vision also entailed providing educational opportunities and training programmes to equip affected individuals with skills and knowledge to navigate their surroundings, access information and pursue their life goals.
She said that the foundation would also give practical and sustainable support mechanisms through direct financial assistance to individuals with visual impairments.
Songonuga further said that the charity was keen on promoting access to employment opportunities and vocational trainings that would enable concerned individuals to develop marketable skills and achieve financial independence.
Many Nigerians in the diaspora had in recent years, risen to the challenge of touching the lives of their less-privileged compatriots back home, to make life worth living for them. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
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