To mark the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, glass and aluminium solutions company, ABUMET, last week extended love, care, and support to the children with disabilities at JKS Home for Children with Special Needs in Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
The outreach programme was part of the company’s yearly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in line with its long-standing commitment to community development and social welfare.
The visit formed part of ABUMET’s continuous effort to sustain its CSR objectives by reaching out to vulnerable groups and supporting institutions that nurture and protect children.
Representatives of the company delivered essential food items, household supplies, and other necessities to the orphanages, ensuring that the donations would make a tangible difference in their daily welfare.
Director at the Home, Nifeni Ajileye, said that the facility was founded in 2010 and currently has 16 children from ages seven to 30. She said that they are special kids who need care in line with the vision of founding the Home.
She said: “Some of the children are orphans; some are abandoned because of their condition. We don’t have children who are from wealthy homes and they are just looking for a place to get help. “They are children who sincerely need our help. Some of them were brought to us by the government; some from individuals.
“When you see them, we will be able to tell you about their history. We provide all forms of care for them. We are not just keeping them here without any form of intervention.”
She continued: “Some of them are on physiotherapy. We train them to be independent. We train them to be able to do things on their own.” She expressed her profound gratitude to ABUMET, saying: “We are very excited and it is a huge privilege for us.
“We understand that there are lots of Homes for the underprivileged and children with disabilities in Abuja and for ABUMET, to consider us is a privilege for us and we don’t take it for granted. We can’t run the home without the support of organisations and individuals like these. And we sincerely appreciate you considering us. ”
Meanwhile, the therapist, Favour Ibrahim, guided the team around the facility and explained the different kinds of disabilities the children in the home have.
She said: “This is a home for children with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, ADHD. As long as they are special, this is their home. So I am going to introduce some of them to you and also their disabilities and what their challenges are. She went on to explain the causes of their disabilities and how each child is cared for according to their specific needs. She noted that some of the children can now cater for themselves, thanks to the physiotherapy classes they attend, and some even go to school. She said: “For instance, there is a child, when she came, she could not do anything. But now, she takes care of herself, she takes care of others and she even orientated the new caregivers to now take care of the children.
So basically, health intervention, as well as medical support and educational support, are really helping the children here. We also have a school for children, JKS Special Needs Academy with special needs. Some of them attend the school as well.”
General Manager, ABUMET, Diemo Schillack, in a short remark, said: “It is a good thing what is happening in this home. Taking care of kids with special needs is very intense to see, its good what you are doing for the community.”
“One thing is clear though; the impact of ABUMET’s CSR efforts extends far beyond material contributions.” He said that it is about inspiring hope, building trust, and reinforcing the company’s belief that the success of any organisation is deeply tied to the wellbeing of the society in which it operates.
Yearly, with similar CSR initiative, ABUMET continues to reaffirm its position as not only a glass and steel manufacturer but also a compassionate corporate citizen dedicated to uplifting lives and strengthening communities. For many years, ABUMET has used its CSR programmes as a bridge to connect with communities, as it tries to touch lives in meaningful ways.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was declared by the United Nations for December 3 yearly. The global body holds that an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability representing 16 per cent of the world’s population.
