The Irede Foundation has announced its decision to give out 100 free limbs to enable children living with limb loss and their families live independent and limitless lives.
Speaking at the global Out-On-A-Limb Awareness Walk held in Lagos recently, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Crystal Chigbu, said, Irede Foundation had continued to fulfill its mission of inspiring action so children living with limb loss and their families can live independent and limitless lives.
She said, “We have given over 250 limbs to children across Nigeria and also launched the Inclusive Education Project which ensures children living with disabilities are able to thrive whilst bringing their whole selves to the academic environment.”
Chigbu noted that the awareness walk was aimed at promoting inclusion, raising critical funds and spotlighting the challenges peculiar to children and limb loss while celebrating their uniqueness, strength and their ability to thrive against all odds.
“The advocacy walk also aims to spotlight and promote the first-ever disability comic book in Africa, ‘Iredians’ which was launched in November 2021 to highlight the active participation of children with disabilities who are fighting against peer discrimination,” she added.
Also, the Programme Director of the Foundation, Ms. Wuraola Kayode, said in the past two years, the Foundation had unveiled an inclusive magazine for children that highlights disabilities in children, promote inclusion, and discourages discrimination and bullying.
She said, “Since the inception of this initiative, the foundation has led conversations across 40 locations globally with a direct reach of 15,000 people and an indirect reach of 10 million people globally, which has enabled the foundation the opportunity to raise awareness about Limb loss, increase top of mind awareness about the work the foundation does and the support available for target stakeholders, and raise funds to continue to empower child amputees.”