Founder of Hope Builders for the Physically Challenged Foundation, Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Akinrinmade, has called on well-meaning Nigerians to support people living with disabilities in the country.
Akinrinmade made this call at the 2024 MSME Day organized by her foundation, which has been providing support for people with disabilities.
The event featured an exhibition of products made by entrepreneurs living with various disabilities.
Akinrinmade explained that the exhibition was designed to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of these Nigerians, many of whom were trained by the foundation.
She said, “We’ve been around in the last five years impacting people with disability with a lot of programmes including training them to unlock their potentials and showcase to the whole world their abilities to contribute to the development of the economy.”
According to Akinrinmade, the foundation has significantly impacted the lives of many people with disabilities, making them financially independent.
She recounted the story of a visually impaired and physically disabled man who, six months ago, was a beggar in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos. He is now into bags and beads making, which makes her very proud.
Akinrinmade urged the government, private sector, and well-meaning Nigerians to assist the foundation to expand its capacity to train more people with disabilities to become financially independent.
Members of the disability community demonstrated their ability to compete in the economy.
Under the umbrella of Hope Builders, they showcased their products, including African prints, female handbags, footwear, throw pillows, beads, antiseptics, processed food (garri, palm oil, etc.), and more to the public at an event in Lagos.
The event, held in the Itire, Mushin area of Lagos State, was attended by representatives from the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mushin Local Government, National Productivity Centre, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), among others.
At the event, the entrepreneurial spirit of members of the disability community was highlighted during the product exhibition.
Co-founder of Hope Builders, Dr. Meranda Motunrayo, added her voice to the appeal for support towards people with disabilities.
She said, “If people living with disability can do this in this economy, I am calling on philanthropists, Nigerians in diaspora, all the governors, the president, international bodies to please hear these people and support them in terms of health, education and finance.”
One of the guests at the event, Rev. Dr. Adebayo Ishola Stephen, praised the initiative by Hope Builders.
He said, “There are many lives being wasted and potentials being destroyed not because they do not have anything to offer…Some people get destroyed because there is no one to give them motivation. I thank God for a programme like this. It is giving meaning to people’s lives. I just pray the government will recognize this kind of programme and give them all the support and encouragement they need.”
Adeyemi Ogunbule, a visually impaired Nigerian who attended the event from his base in the UK, urged the government to implement a policy for free healthcare for people living with disabilities.
Asked to comment on what Nigerians can learn from the UK on caring for people with disabilities, he said there is no basis for comparison.
“There are some things I don’t like saying because some people might get home to start thinking that ‘my life has spoiled.’ In the UK as a person living with disability, you will be taking salary like the people who are working. They don’t want you to think that ‘if I was working I could have been this and that.’
“The house I live in is free. If anything gets spoiled, they will repair it. I have about three ways of going out if I want to go out. The first one is Dial A Ride. You call a day before and they will come and pick you up. The second is a Taxi Card. The government will pay 30% and you will pay 70%. The third one is a card given to you for the train and bus. It is free. I won’t pay any dime just so that you don’t get depressed at home. Hospital is free. I don’t know the cost of drugs,” he said.
Ogunbule advised the government to start with free healthcare for people with disabilities as a way of supporting them.