MTN partners Bayelsa, donates 450 wheelchairs to the disabled

About 450 people, living withdisabilities recently, heaved a sigh of relief as the telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria, partnered the Bayelsa State government to distribute free wheel chairs to aid the mobility of the physically challenged individuals.The partnership was part of the third phase of the MTN Foundation Disability Support Project in which persons with disability are handed mobility aids and other enabling appliances.Addressing the beneficiaries at the official launch of the project, in Yenagoa, the wife of the Bayelsa State governor, Mrs. Alayingi Sylva, tasked corporate organizations in the state to collaborate with government in making life more meaningful for the disables in the society.While observing that the task of assisting the physically challenged should not be left to the government alone, she stated that eminent individuals and reputable corporate establishments should strive to give succour to the less privileged in Nigeria.Said Sylva, 'It is sad to note that majority of the 26 million Nigerians living with one form of disability or the other, have no access to support facilities that will aid their mobility or enable them to conduct their day-to-day activities'.In her address, the Portfolio Manager of MTN Foundation, Mrs. Foyinsola Oyebola, contended that the guiding principle behind the programme was the company's belief that empowering the physically challenged would not only give them a sense of belonging, but also assist them in meaningful income generating activities.She further hinted that MTN had distributed over 10,000 mobility aids and appliances since the first phase of Foundation began in 2009, disclosing that the support project had already covered 11 states.One of the beneficiaries, identified as Esther Peremowei commended MTN over the initiatives, pointing out that 'now I can easily move around in my new wheel chair, courtesy of MTN and Bayelsa State government.
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