The wife of the Delta Governor, Mrs Tobore Oborevwori, has urged parents to stop hiding children with special needs and instead give them the love, care and support they need to thrive.
Oborevwori, Founder of the You Matter Charity Foundation, made the call on Friday in Asaba during the foundation’s eighth free medical outreach for children with autism and other special needs.
She said fear, shame and misconceptions should not prevent children with special needs from accessing healthcare, acceptance, education and opportunities to reach their full potential.
“Stop hiding them. Give them the care, attention and support they deserve,” she said.
Oborevwori said the foundation initially designed the outreach to support vulnerable people across Delta’s three senatorial districts but had expanded the programme to cover all 10 federal constituencies in the state.
She disclosed that 860 children had so far benefited from free medical consultations, medications, educational support, assistive devices and other interventions through the foundation’s programmes.
The governor’s wife urged parents and caregivers to provide sustained support to children with special needs, stressing that they deserved equal opportunities and inclusion in society.
She assured families that the foundation would continue to support them within its capacity.
According to her, the outreach seeks to promote love, acceptance and inclusion for children with autism and other special needs, as well as other vulnerable members of society.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the foundation, Mrs Lawrentta Ogbedo, urged parents and caregivers to remain committed to supporting their children.
Ogbedo said love, patience and consistent support were essential to the development and wellbeing of children with special needs.
She commended local government chairmen, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders for partnering with the foundation, saying the collaboration had strengthened its humanitarian interventions.
Speaking on behalf of the other council chairmen, the Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Mr Kelvin Ezenyili, described the outreach as a profound expression of love and concern for humanity.
Ezenyili said the council was also supporting vulnerable people and pledged to sustain its partnership with the governor’s wife and the foundation in advancing humanitarian programs.
The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and other stakeholders also commended the Oborevwori administration for addressing issues affecting residents, particularly vulnerable people and families.
They praised the foundation for providing healthcare, material assistance and social support to beneficiaries, describing the intervention as timely and a demonstration of commitment to the wellbeing of residents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries and caregivers expressed appreciation to Oborevwori and the foundation for the support.
Highlights of the outreach included the distribution of wheelchairs, free medical treatment, educational and assistive devices, as well as bags of rice to beneficiaries.
