A postgraduate student of the University of Lagos, Olawale Ayodele, on Thursday donated foodstuffs, clothes and toiletries to children suffering from Down Syndrome at the Down Syndrome Foundation Centre in Lagos.
Ayodele, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology at the university, said he embarked on the gesture to impact the lives of the less privileged children.
He said the gesture was geared towards supporting parents and the care-givers who toil day and night to rehabilitate children with special needs.
“Children suffering from Down Syndrome and other disabilities abound in the country, and little is being done by members of the society to help in the process of rehabilitating them to make them fully integrated into the larger society.
“Parents and guardians of these children have a whole lot to worry about, including getting prospects for medical assistance. My objective is to assist with these children’s upkeep as their parents and guardians toil to give them education and rehabilitate them here,” Ayodele said.
Asked how he got the funds to acquire the materials, Ayodele explained that it was from the profit made from his start-up firm, Akada, which majors in educational consulting.
The Head Therapist/ Teacher of the foundation, Mr. Toyin Oyeleye, urged members of the public to do more to assist people suffering from the syndrome.
He canvassed for more support from state governments and urged them to commit more resources to taking care of the education and societal integration of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome and other disabilities.
He said, “The donation will go a long way in boosting the psyche of the members of staff of the foundation. Feeding of the pupils in the foundation whose population now stands at 40 is a bit challenging and this donation has definitely met one of our important needs.”
