NGO offers free Rickets surgery to over 300 children in Kaduna

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Hope for a Village Child, said it offered free Rickets surgery to over 300 children in Kaduna State.

Mr Macheal Ogundele, Head Special Needs Unit of the organisation, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kaduna.

“We have offered free Rickets surgery to 300 children and we have almost 4,000 that are currently on drugs in the organization,” he said.

According to him, the organization is promoting the dignity of the village child and carrying out programme for women youths and children.

“We give hope to less privileged children and children with disabilities in the society,” he said.

Speaking on its women empowerment programme, Ogundele said the organization work with women groups from various communities and offer them soft loans to be self-reliant and able to support their families.

“A lot of women have been empowered. We give soft loan every year in different communities. We have up to 25 women in groups and after three years, we collect the money to give to another group.

“We carry out a programme called `Child Clinic’ every Wednesday, when children are brought from different communities for immunization, while every Friday, pregnant women come for their antenatal care,’’ he explained.

Ogundele said under one of its programme called the “Sustainable Livelihood Programme, youths are trained on latest mechanized farming methods and at the end of the training, soft loan was also given to some selected youths.

According to him, the beneficiaries are also encouraged to step-down the training and demonstrate to their various communities.

“In our education department, the organization sponsored a lot of the less privileged children from primary, secondary up to high institution.

“We have a boy reading law at University of Jos, one at Faith Academy and other four studying in Kaduna state.

“The organization also go to various communities to teach young children how to read and write as well as teach them how to make local craft. We also set up eight youths in business and skills.

“Some of them are into shoe making while some are into trading and they have their shops and are all doing well,” he said.