By Stanley Onyekwere
In order to intensify awareness on the devastating effects of Climate Change on humanity, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Josie Adokuru Mudasiru Intervention For Vulnerable Children And Climate Change Initiative, popularly known as JAM-Initiative organised a Choral performance of a group made up of Blind Students in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Our correspondent reports that aside the choral performance staged by the group to the admiration of the audience, there was a brief talk about COVID-19 and the visually impaired can cope with the pandemic delivered by a retired Public Servant, Princess Fapounda.
Also palliatives were distributed to the blind children, who graced the occasion, to help cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on them.
Speaking after the students’ performance at JSS Area 11, Garki-Abuja, President of JAM-Initiative, Mrs. Josie Mudasiru noted that the event aimed at increasing the consciousness of Nigerians on the need to engage themselves on the subject of Climate Change.
Mudasiru said there is need to step up campaigns against the devastating effects of Climate change, which according to her poses more existential threat to the whole of mankind than the combined effects of COVID-19.
She therefore called on corporate bodies and well meaning Nigerians to support her NGO to be able to reach out to several of the vulnerable children who have been abandoned to their fate.
According to her, “JAM initiative is looking at training of people to make them change agents in safeguarding and protecting their environments to be able to reverse its catastrophic effects which spells doom for humanity.
“There is a conversation going on in the Western world but in Nigeria it seems it is business as usual. People don’t care. Nobody thinks of planting trees. Nobody cleans even their homes they are waiting for government to come and clean.
“ We dump waste in the drainages. I think it is high time we do something about this so in my little way I am contributing my own quota through JAM initiative.”
Also speaking, one of the Choristers, Miss Blessing Ofem, a Primary Six Pupil called on the Government to come to the aide of the Choral Group in securing the visually impaired especially the females against rape and sexual harassment of their gender.
Ofem however expressed fears over rising violence against women and minors in the society, as it has constrained their (blind students) abilities to clearly exhibit and showcase their talents.
