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We Have Accepted Our Fate, Save Our Children, Ogun Lepers Laments
Fred Omotara, Lagos
Some Lepers in Ogun State on Saturday begged Nigerians to help them raise and educate their children, saying they have succumbed to fate.
The lepers who spoke while receiving a non-governmental organisation, Jaw Jaw Africa at their base in Iberekodo Colony in Abeokuta, Ogun State said they want their children to grow and receive the necessary education like everyone else in the society, but their health condition had put them in a precarious situation.
Speaking, the Secretary of the colony, Folorunso Lukman, advocated for the support of the masses and the civil society groups to better the lives of their children, pleading “please in God’s name, help our children.”
Lukman said that “our present situation has frustrated some of our children out of school,” adding that those who learn trades do not have the financial strength to set up their shops or buy the needed tools.
“Please, we didn’t bargain for this but it happened. We have accepted our fate. We haven’t failed until we cannot train our own children,” he said.
Also, the Chairman of the colony, Jimoh Ahmed begged for soft loans to help the inmates who can still run petty businesses.
Ahmed expressed fear over the porosity of the colony, begging for solar-powered streetlights to illuminate the colony and scare away people who may want to infiltrate the vicinity, as the colony is now surrounded by residential buildings.
The convener of Jaw Jaw Africa, Victor Eniola-Mark, requested data of the out-of-school pupils, promising to look into some of their pressing needs.