9th August, 2010
At a time when many of their peers are on the road begging for alms, some physically challenged persons in Lagos State, Nigeria have chosen to be different.
This is what spurred them to learn some vocational works at the Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitated Centre for People with Disability, Owutu, Ikorodu. They learn handiwork to be able to eke out a living for themselves rather than begging.
Last week, 20 physically challenged students graduated from the centre and it was surprising to see the fine clothes, shoes, bead and other things which they had made and placed on the stand for exhibition.
The graduating students were trained in the area of tailoring, tie and dye, shoe making, carpentry and bead making.
The joy of their parents knew no bounds. The children they thought were useless because of their disability now have hope of a brighter future. They called on the government to consider their wards for public service appointments.
The graduating students were given tools for their areas of specialization and start-off capital for their businesses and then sent out to make a living for themselves.
Presenting certificate as well as a start off capital to the graduands, the Special Adviser to Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, charged them to make better use of the opportunity.
Badru explaining that it was the sixth batch of graduating from the vocational centre, adding that the centre was established to avail the physically challenged person, the opportunity to be less dependent on their families and members of the public.