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Ikeja Lions engages in centennial projects

By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia
08 April 2017   |   4:25 am
As the international association of Lions Club clocks 100 years of existence, District 404B-2, region 5 has joined in the celebration by carrying out charity projects in the district.

President, Ikeja Unique Lions Club, Juliet Kojo (middle), with a team from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) flanked by other members of the club during the presentation of a traffic warden booth at Allen Avenue, Ikeja, recently

As the international association of Lions Club clocks 100 years of existence, District 404B-2, region 5 has joined in the celebration by carrying out charity projects in the district.

With six clubs under the region including Ikeja New Era Club, Ikeja Unique Lions Club, Ikeja Platinum Lions Club, Ilupeju Achievers Lions Club, Lions Club of Maryland and Lagos Pelican Lions Club, the district governor was invited to witness the milestone event.

The District Governor Taiwo Adewunmi, who harped on the importance of collaborating just as these clubs have done, he said that there is greater impact when projects are carried out in unison and the effect is better felt. “Instead of one club feeding few people with N5,000, 10 clubs can donate same amount together and impact a huge number.”

Even with the economic recession, which has also affected the activities of clubs, he noted that it is a ripple effect from what the society is experiencing. “In the beginning of the year, we planned to have 100 cataract surgeries at 50, 000 each which amounts to five million, but we ended up having only 60 surgeries because we were able to raise only three million. We also wanted to feed about 10, 000 people around the district but we were able to feed only 3000; these are the effects of the recession.

Members are no longer meeting up with their dues, some states whose majority are civil servants have not been paid salaries in months, while those we run to who own their businesses are affected. But then, our charity projects must go on.”

On the activities of the region, Chairperson Region 5, Adewale Afolabi, said that the region and clubs activities revolved around the four centennial service challenges of youth empowerment (donation of sewing machines to young entrepreneurs); eye screening and donation of glasses to students and teachers of Lagos African Church School, Ifako-Agege; distribution of food stuffs; tree planting to protect the environment and the provision on a traffic warden shelter at Allen Avenue roundabout, Ikeja.

President, Ikeja Unique Lions Club, Juliet Kojo said that their legacy project was borne out of the need to put up something visible in the community rather the usual feeding the hungry. Since most of the booths at Allen Avenue are old, we decided to build a new and bigger one to accommodate the traffic wardens considering the nature of their job. “They do a lot of work, when we cluster the roads, they are there to clear them and so we have chosen this to honour them.”

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