A United Kingdom-based charity, Vidya Jyoti, has provided life-saving support for children battling cancer and other serious conditions across four Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by sponsoring their surgeries.
The organisation is currently funding open-heart surgeries for indigent patients at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, and Afe Babalola University Hospital, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). It also supports patients at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
The Vidya Jyoti partnership, which covers Kogi, Osun, Benue, Ekiti states, as well as the FCT, was founded in 2019 by consultant psychiatrist Dr Pamela Kaushal. The charity has since grown into a small team of friends working towards shared goals.
Beyond medical sponsorships, Vidya Jyoti provides clean water to rural communities in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cambodia, offers scholarships for underprivileged students in Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda, supports individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, and provides morning nutrition for children in India through the Saisure Programme. It has also established ICT laboratories for rural government schools in Cambodia, India, and Ghana.
The Vidya Jyoti Nigeria Health Project supports a range of interventions, from paediatric cardiac surgery to literacy initiatives and water provision. Its Nigerian team includes Patience Omolara, Education Coordinator; Dr Taiwo Jones, Medical Coordinator; and Olushola Stanley Ayejoto, Water Project Coordinator.
The charity also funds weekly dialysis treatment for children with kidney failure at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja. “The partnership with the Vidya Jyoti team has brought relief to these patients and their families, and on behalf of the management of FTH Lokoja, we remain grateful,” the hospital said.
Among the beneficiaries is Mrs Esther Abraham, a firewood seller from Ankpa, Kogi State, whose son Emmanuel was diagnosed with eye cancer. “We have been here for over two months, we did not pay any money and they attended to us. I thank God and I pray for the partners. May God continue to bless them with knowledge and prosperity,” she said.
Another patient, six-year-old Nimotu Oseni, who had kidney and stomach cancer, also underwent successful surgery without her family paying a fee. Her mother, Mariam Oseni, expressed gratitude to the medical team. Similarly, Muhammed Aliu said his six-year-old daughter, who had battled kidney cancer for seven months, showed significant improvement after being brought to FTH Lokoja.
He confirmed that the treatment was free and offered a prayer of thanks to the sponsors. In August, the team completed abdominal surgery for five-year-old Gloria Ayhnairo, who had suffered from abdominal swelling since birth. Her parents, unable to afford the procedure, received full support from Vidya Jyoti for investigations, blood work, surgery, and post-operative care.
Consultant paediatric surgeon and hospital team lead, Dr Taiwo Jones, explained: “We thank God the surgery went well, though very technical, a huge retroperitoneal mature teratoma, most likely. The tumour completely lifted the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) from the lumbar paravertebral area.”
He noted that childhood cancer care imposes a heavy financial burden. “The treatment, which involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, is financed by the parents who are already living below the poverty line,” he said.
Dr Jones recounted his involvement with Vidya Jyoti: “Our paths crossed in May 2024 through a statement by a prominent Okun daughter from Iyara in Ijumu Local Council, expressing a desire to organise a medical outreach in Okun land where I volunteered to help achieve the goal. I have been involved in medical outreaches since my NYSC days in Edo State. A formal discussion led to a video call from Pamela Kaushal, the founder of the trust, and a confident trust was established after a review of my Curriculum Vitae.”
He said the partnership with FTH Lokoja began with a team focused on children with cancer and kidney failure, before expanding to cover indigent adult patients. “The trust founder was in Nigeria in May to visit some borehole sites and our hospital. This highly impactful interaction has led to more sponsorships for patients and has brought hope to the hopeless,” he said.
“We have had satisfactory outcomes with the patients sponsored, and this has highlighted the cost-effectiveness of a functional healthcare system in Nigeria. Our local hospital personnel are adequately trained to take care of the health needs of the citizens if motivated by appropriate remuneration and infrastructure,” Dr Jones added.
Since its establishment about three years ago, the UK-based charity has sponsored treatment for indigent patients, drilled boreholes for rural communities, offered scholarships, and provided ICT facilities to schools across Africa, Asia and South America.
