News
Rotary Club empowers polio survivors with N500,000
Our Reporter
The President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Rotarian Dinah Achele Akuh has urged Nigerians to rally around Poliomyelitis survivors in the country.
She said polio is not a death sentence and victims should be assisted to live in a normal way. She said despite that Nigeria is now polio-free, there is a need to rehabilitate the survivors.
Akuh made the plea during the presentation of N500, 000 empowerment grants to some polio survivors in Karon Majigi in Abuja for trades and small-scale businesses.
She said: “Poliomyelitis is not a death sentence. Now that Nigeria is polio-free, we should take care of the survivors and sustain our preventive measures.
Read Also: Foundation empowers women, others
“This is why members of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama have decided to empower some survivors with N500, 000 capitals for trades and small-scale businesses. We believe the survivors have a right to life too.
“One of the survivors, Kabiru Bello has a welding workshop with some apprentices. He is determined to break even and we have given him enough to buy some tools and materials.
Akuh said the club will soon embark on the next phase of the empowerment of another batch of polio survivors.
“The war against poliomyelitis can be finally won if the survivors have a sense of belonging like others in the society,” she added.
A past Assistant Governor, Rotarian Winny Fonaka said the club was fulfilling one of the seven areas of focus of Rotary International with the empowerment.
“We want these survivors to live a normal life. We don’t want them to beg on the streets for anything,” she said.
