The FCT School for the blind children, Jabi Abuja, on Sunday in Abuja held its maiden graduation and magazine launch with a call on the larger society to avoid discrimination but help the indigent in the interest of national development.
The event was sponsored by the Women in Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Kaduna Zone, See Hear Initiative (SHI) and others.
Speaking at the event, the School Administrator, Lady Rose Ngunan Ugande, said that 21 students graduated in the event, which was the first since the establishment of the schools.
According to her, 15 of the students were graduating to secondary school while four were moving to universities.
“I have told them (graduants) that, here is the FCT School for the blind only and that they are going to meet all-inclusive students in their next level of education and I told them to be resilient such that whatever they are doing should be to the best of the knowledge, so that nobody is going to cheat or pity them. They are not out there to be pitied, they are out there to achieve what others can achieved too,” Uganden said.
She said that some people are ready to offer scholarship to the students and that they formed the 24th batch of graduants of the school.
On her part, the Chairperson Women in PENGASSAN, Kaduna Zone, Comrade Hasiya Hassan Audu, said the maiden graduation and magazine launch was a turning point to the school and the society.
“We are here as mothers to celebrate with the children and give them courage that even without site, there is vision and even when they cannot see the stars, there can reach the stars and even beyond, we believe that learning is for every child and no child should be excluded,” Audu said.
Also, the Deputy Director Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Abuja Operations, Ms Philomena Nweze, said the SHI was also supporting the event due to the importance of the wellbeing of the visually impaired.
Ms Nweze, who is also blind, told the graduants not to expect others in the society to lower their guards for them, because of the challenges, but to be resilient and achieve their own set goals.
Other speakers at the event also called for supports in term of Braille Machines, Braille Papers, Typewriters, and Braille Slate/Stylus among other items for the wellbeing of the students.
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