90 units of power-driven mobility carts have been donated to 90 Persons Living With Disability in Bauchi State in order to help them be able to move around with ease as they go about performing their daily activities.
The initiative was a collaboration between a German-based Non-Governmental Organisation, BruderHilfe with the Nigerian Embassy in Germany in partnership with the Bauchi State government.
While presenting the carts to the Bauchi State governor for onward donation to the beneficiaries at a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House on Tuesday, President of the NGO, Mrs Mary Bamigbe-Bruder, disclosed that the mobility carts are meant to cushion the hardship been faced by physically challenged persons in the state.
She further said that: “the mobility carts are humanitarian support from Bruder-Hilfe, an NGO based in Germany, in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Germany and in partnership with the Bauchi State government”.
Mary Bamigbe-Bruder added that “This is our first phase of intervention in Bauchi State, covering a total of 90 beneficiaries carefully selected by the Bauchi State government.
Subsequently, our other interventions will focus on health and education. A lot of these beneficiaries are victims of polio and they have suffered in life. Let me assure you that Bruder Hilfe will continue to do more by putting a smile on the faces of vulnerable members of the society.”
She, however, noted that catering for the needs and welfare of the vulnerable is a collective responsibility, as enjoined by both religions and is, therefore, incumbent on all of the people to support and take care of the needy in the society and challenged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the carts to improve their standards of living reminding them that having a disability is not the end of the world.
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She stated that “My dear beneficiaries, this mobility cart can serve two purposes, ease your day-to-day movements, and start a business to earn a living. The mobility cart has been made with special provisions to accommodate the mobile business”.
“The ball is now in your court to utilise this gesture very well by planning effectively. Remember that living with a disability is not the end of the world. If you can do just one thing well, you’re needed by someone. Therefore, choose not to place ‘dis’ in your ability. Your disability should open your eyes to see your true abilities and potentialities,” she further stated.
Mary Bamigbe-Bruder then expressed gratitude to the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, for his efforts to see to the success of the presentation pointing out that her NGO, Bruder -Hilfe, is looking forward to more of such fruitful partnerships in the near future.
While thanking Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who is an indigene Bauchi State, for his fatherly role, commitment and support, she said that: “Bruder Hilfe is highly indebted to your enviable role in ensuring that this project becomes a resounding success”.
She assured that “We will continue to count on your leadership and exemplary role in supporting Nigerians in the diaspora to succeed in their various endeavours as well as promoting cooperation among the government and private sectors in Nigeria and Germany.”
Mary Bamigbe-Bruder then appealed to well-spirited individuals, governmental organisations, contractors, and international NGOs to give priority attention when planning to design, and constructing public spaces by bearing in mind, the immediate needs of disabled persons saying that this will go a long way in giving them a sense of belonging and reduce their sufferings.
Bauchi State governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir thanked the NGO for bringing the tricycles from Germany to Bauchi saying that very soon, he will establish an agency for people living with disabilities to address their plights.
The governor said: “In Bauchi, we are going to establish the Agency for Persons Living With Disability. This agency, in addition to BASOVCA and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, will specifically target these people because sometimes, they can be more useful than some of us that have two legs and two hands.
Bala Mohammed said that “You can see what happened in the Olympics, people living with a disability brought glory to this country by winning medals. They are veritable members of the public. I don’t want you to live negatively and feeling less important of yourselves because you can do anything you want and even better and my administration will give you the opportunity to do so.”
The governor added that “Today, I am very delighted to address you, this may not seem as something glaringly important, but to me, it signifies the rebirth of the regeneration of Bauchi”.
He added that Bauchi has come a long way under our leadership because we have been able to open up the state to international attention and we have been able to create a partnership with global NGOs and global bodies that are making the required impact in terms of improving the quality of lives of our people”.
“It is not the number of houses you have or amount of cash you have or in the bank, I met Madam Mary Bruder in Germany along with other NGOs and we signed an MoU, during a working visit, but we have been slowed down by COVID-19, and because she is a Nigerian and not only that but a passionate believer in the Nigerian project, she decided to come to Bauchi”, he also said.
The governor advised that “Our embassies should be able to do certain things like this, to give incentives, to make sure they provide ways and improve the quality of life of our people and this is an attestation of that by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, my brother, Yusuf Tuggar”.
Bala Mohammed further said that “These tricycles were brought all the way from Germany, I want to thank the donors and the local NGOs that facilitated it. I also want to thank our officers who also midwife this programme. You can do anything on this cart with ease, you can trade and do a lot of things, please, I want to urge the beneficiaries to put it to use in a manner that will improve the quality of their lives”.
He however assured that “We are going to involve all the leaders of the disabled in the distribution of these carts and we will distribute them across the 20 LGAs in the state and we will also involve the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Women Affairs and my dear wife who is so passionate about the plights of those Living With Disabilities”.
He also called on all public-spirited individuals, the organised private sector, NGOs, civil servants and everybody, to lend a supportive hand to those that have some disabilities.
He said that “In Bauchi, we are going to establish the Agency for Persons Living With Disability. This agency, in addition to BASOVCA, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will specifically target these people because sometimes, they can be more useful than some of us that have two legs and two hands”.
“You can see what happened in the Olympics, people living disability brought glory to this country by winning medals. They are veritable members of the public. I don’t want you to live negatively and feeling less important of yourselves because you can do anything you want and even better and my administration will give you the opportunity to do so”, the governor concluded.
and then