The IREDE Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to taking action so child amputees and their families may lead self-sufficient lives, celebrated 10 years of raising champions of Child Amputees; of engaging stakeholders on matters of inclusion, and working to implement long-term initiatives so children with disabilities have a future to look forward to, not just in Nigeria but across Africa.
The Chairman of the foundation’s board of Trustee, Mr. Kunle Akinkugbe opened the ceremony with an opening speech where he stated, “In the next 10 years, we are looking at expanding the frontiers of our operations, we want to provide more limbs for amputees around Nigeria and Africa, and we are developing ourselves into an institutional powerhouse for innovations around the issues of disabilities and child imputations.”
Following 10 years of continued growth and commitment to its mission, the Executive Director, Mrs. Crystal Chigbu shared with the foundation’s stakeholders present at the anniversary event, the organization’s milestone in 10 years.
Chigbu, who founded the organization following a personal experience, where she gave birth to a child with missing limbs, and her experiences led to her starting the Foundation, which was named after her daughter “Beulah Ireoluwade Chigbu,” stated that over the past 10 years, The IREDE Foundation has helped child amputees, their families, and caregivers find new meaning to life, help to navigate the devastating effect of limb loss, and lead full lives beyond the amputation.
She further emphasized that when amputation happens, it changes the trajectory of a family, decisions are now made based on their new reality and in most cases, such families are stuck and do not know how to move from where they are.
Chigbu used the opportunity of the occasion to announce that the foundation has provided over 300 limbs, worked with about 5000 families; through its Limb2Care initiative, and through its advocacy programs has worked with the government in implementing inclusive education policies in Lagos state and the general public through its awareness initiative to educate the society on limb loss and issues bothering around disability to reduce to the barest minimum discrimination and exclusion of persons with disabilities.
The Senior Programs Officer of the foundation, Ms. Wuraola Kayode, took to the podium to share the foundation’s plans for the next decade and urged stakeholders present to join hands in doing more, to continue to ensure children with limb loss and their families live self-sufficient lives.
She further stated that 400 children are on the waitlist for limbs and urged everyone present to further support the work the foundation is doing, emphasizing, every donation to the foundation counts.
The anniversary event had in attendance the Board of Trustees of the foundation, the Advisory Council members, Partners and Donors of the Foundation, and the Media.
You can catch up on the anniversary event here:
To make a kind donation;
Bank: GTB
Account Name: The IREDE Foundation
Account Number: 0126031730
OR
Bank: UBA
Account Number: 1019768532
Account Name: The IREDE Foundation
Bank: FCMB
Account Number: 3731345014
Account Name: The IREDE Foundation.
www.theiredefoundation.org
View Anniversary images here: VIEW IMAGES
