News

Lions Clubs District 404B2 Nigeria celebrate Helen Keller’s Day, renovate hostel for blind people

March 14, 2020

59 5 minutes read

L-R: Chairman, Helen Keller’s Day 2020 Committee, Lion Raji Babatunde; District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Wesley Kafidiya (standing); Principal, Vocational Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Mr. John Yekini and 2nd Vice District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Kayode Oshinuga at the flag-off of Hostel renovation project by Lions at Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Lagos on Friday, March 13, 2020.

International Association of Lions Clubs, District 404B2 Nigeria, recently in Lagos celebrated Helen Keller’s Day, giving hope and celebrating the blinds in the society.

This year, the Lions celebrated Helen Keller’s Day with the students of the Vocational Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Lagos, where members of the Lions Clubs under District 404B2 Nigerian jointly flagged-off a renovation project at the Female Transit Hostel, to give the visually impaired students of the centre a sense of belonging.

Speaking at the event, the District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Wesley Kafidiya, called on public spirited Nigerians to help the needy in the society by giving them a sense of belonging in whatever way possible.

While commending the members of various Lions Club under the District, partners and individuals who came together to make this year’s Helen Keller’s Day a reality, he charged the Lions to ensure the completion of the Hostel renovation project which he said is in reference to their collective decision to work for the visually impaired in our society.

According to him, “I want to commend you for being part of this laudable project. It is laudable in the sense that we agreed years ago that we will be working for the interest of the visually impaired persons in our community and as a result of that, year in year out, since 1925, Lions have been championing various causes to support visually impaired – We have Sight First; we have Sight First 2, not to talk of various projects the Lions are carrying out all over the nation for visually Challenged.

Giving insight into the Helen Keller’s Day celebrated by Lions all over the world, the 2^nd Vice District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Kayode Oshinuga, said that the day was set aside by Lions Clubs all over the world to celebrate Helen Keller’s accomplishment and tenacity and in response to the charge she gave the Lions when she addressed the International Lions at a conference in USA in 1925, that Lions should be the Knight of the blinds.

According to him, “Today’s event is in response to the challenge thrown to us as Lions worldwide during our international convention in United States of America (USA) in 1925 when that black American woman who was blind, deaf and dumb, Helen Keller, challenged the Lions to become the Knight of the blinds.

“Every year, aside carrying out other eyes and sight related activities, we reserve a day to celebrate her; to celebrate her accomplishment and to celebrate her tenacity.

“Helen Keller though she was blind, deaf and dumb, she braced all odd and was able to address the world Lion in USA where she advocated that Lions must become the Knight of the blinds.

So this year, the committee decided instead of just organizing a seminar to tell people about Helen Keller, decided to impact on those whom Helen Keller had asked us to work for that is why we have come to the School of the Blind to carry out our activities in commemoration of Helen Keller’s Day.”

In his speech, Chairman of Helen Keller’s Day Committee, Mr. Raji Babatunde, said the renovation project being carried out by Lions in the centre was to bring the legacy of Helen Keller closer to the users and students of the Vocational Centre for the Blind.

According to him, “The normal way we have been doing it is to go round and create awareness, do advocacy and other things. But this year we decided that we should do something a little bit different that if we are really talking about Helen Keller, we should be able to point to something that would impact the life of visually impaired persons in our community in reference to the challenge Helen Keller thrown at Lions in 1925 and that is why we are taking it upon ourselves to do something that will benefit the visually impaired and through our community need assessment we have been able to discover that there is a deplorable room in the Female Transit Hostel and we concluded that we should give the room a complete face-lift with modern facilities.

He called on public minded individuals to take it upon themselves to help the needy among them rather than wait for government to do everything.

The Region six Chairperson, Lion Blessing Umebali in her words, stated that the Lions Clubs International is scattered over the world touching lives of the needy and positively impacting the nation through their humanitarian activities.

Umebali said, the Girls Hostel Room of 56 square meters needs serious renovation because, at present, it is in a dilapidated state and needs renovation to bring it back for usage.

She noted that Government cannot do the communities services all alone. “As a matter of fact, there are areas that the government pays little or no attentions to and this school of the blind is one of such places. Thank God for Lions Clubs District 404B2 Nigeria under the leadership of our visionary District Governor, Lion Wesley O. Kafidiya. So putting smiles on the faces of the needy is our focus in marking Helen Keller Day, we deemed it fit to leave our footprints in memory of Helen Keller by renovating the Girls Hostel,” she added.

Earlier in his speech, Principal, Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Mr. John Yekini, while giving the history of the centre, said the Federal Nigerian Society of the Blind was founded in 1955, adding that in 1956, a crop of young men and women decided to come together to establish the vocational training centre for the blind, Oshodi.

He said the idea for establishing the school was to help the blinds achieve their role in life, adding that the school has produced so many blinds person who are very useful to themselves and the society. “A lot of them have gained admission into the University and many of them have graduated as lawyers and are doing very well,” he said.

The centre, according to him, offers various vocational courses including soap making, tie and dye, clothe making, computer, craft, and music among others.

He thanked the Lions for their support and solicited more from other well-meaning individuals in the society.

L-R: Region 6 Chairperson, Lion Blessing Umebali; District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Wesley Kafidiya; Principal, Vocational Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Mr. John Yekini and 2nd Vice District Governor, District 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Kayode Oshinuga at the flag-off of Hostel renovation project by Lions at Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, Oshodi, Lagos on Friday, March 13, 2020.