Rotaract Club campaigns against underage blood donation

The Rotaract Club of Agege, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Agege, District 9110, has partnered with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service under the Ministry of Health to organize a blood advocacy and sensitization drive, sensitising more than 5,000 senior secondary school pupils in Agege on voluntary blood donation and the risk of underage donors.

Rashidat said the club embarked on the project because of the incident of a 17-year-old boy that donated four pints of blood within a week at an illegal laboratory and passed out some days later. She said in order to prevent future recurrence of such and demystify negative beliefs on blood donation, the club embarked on the partnership to educate students in eight senior secondary schools in Agege Zone.

Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, who led her team to the program, commended the club and its leadership for the great work and reiterated the need for the students to pass the message to everyone in their community

The heads of the schools also thanked the club for the initiative and prayed God to continue to bless the club volunteers.

Meanwhile, as part of the activities marking the Rotary basic education and literacy month, the club also donated over 3,000 exercise books to students of Issa Williams primary school, Jubril Martins primary school and Anwarul Islam primary school in Agege.

Speaking during the presentation, president of the club, Rotr Rashidat Raheem, said the club decided to donate exercise books to contribute to the development of the schools and advancement of humanity in general, adding that Rotary/Rotaract contributes to the society in other areas like health, water and sanitation, conflict resolution, and adult literacy.