Determined to make a lasting positive impact on the lives of Students with Disabilities of Special Education Centre, Gombe, as part of his clarion calls for national services, Mr. Mohammed Mulli, a serving corp member posted to the Gombe state Ministry of Youth and Sports Headquarters, organized a skill acquisition training programme for Students With Disabilities of the centre.
Speaking to Inclusive News Network (INN) correspondent shortly after the commencement of the skill acquisition training, Mulli stated that “the activities currently being organised in the Special Education Center Gombe is a multifaceted project or activity as it comprises a wide range of events ranging from educational, vocational and social development of people with special needs”
“Specifically, I have started vocational training wherein the participants are been taught how to make shoes” he noted
Mr. Mulli also told INN that ” the training is a 1-week training, which was started on Monday, November 27, 2023 and span through December 2, 2023.”
The empowerment exercise executed by the corp member was essentially geared towards harnessing the entrepreneurial potentials of the Students with disabilities by equipping them with relevant business oriented skills in order to achieve self-reliance after their studies.
INN reports that the training was originally designed as part of series of activities earmarked for the commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) which is a day reserved exclusively by the United Nations to celebrate the achievements of PWDs globally, raise awareness about their plights and conditions on 3rd December of every year.
Mulli said, “another aspect of the activities is the provision of special learning/writing materials for the school.
“I felt no one should be left behind in term of sustainable development. Whereas based on my findings, I discovered that people with special needs are lagging behind. Thus, I took responsibility of placing this set of people on the global trend of development”
“what I considered the best way, is stimulating or sensitising the members of the society to see that the people with disabilities (PWDs) have potentials, that are beneficial to the general society and to make these people better persons.”
Although organizing such a gigantic event can not be achieved without facing challenges, the promising young corper lamented that in spite of the initiative he is undertaken to make life better for students with disabilities, he has received no support from the state government.
His words, “the main challenge was relatively zero support from relevant government agencies and ministries. I sought partnership and support from relevant government but nothing or little was given. Thanks to the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports who facilitated the procurement of the Pantami Stadium for the novelty football match in celebration of the International Disability Day. I equally sought partnership with the JONAPWD” he noted
He added that the activities are personal Community Development Service (CDS) project. He looks forward to seeing the participants and the special students population possess a high sense of belonging to society. He equally looks forward to seeing the participants having more economic and social value, through the skills acquired at the training.
Speaking during the formal closing ceremony of the event, the Principal of Special Education Centre Gombe, Mal. Muhammed Ahmed Lawal, who was represented by the Vice Principal II, Academic, Mal. Muhammad Salisu expressed immense gratitudes to Mr. Mohammed Adewale Mulli for finding the Centre worthy of executing his CDS project.
“We thank the corps member and indeed the entire NYSC community for the training they imparted to our Students. We deeply appreciate the recognition given to us and pray to almighty Allah to reward everyone that contributed to this success story. We are really happy to see you. The door is always open for you any time you want to come to special school,” the school principal said.
On his part, An Assistant Director at the Gombe State NYSC Headquarters, Mal. Bala Mohammed, expressed concern that despite the global recognition accorded to the yearly celebration of the international Disability Day and it’s importance to the development of PWDs everywhere in the world, not a single official of Gombe state Government was presented at the venue of the ceremony.
He said, “I am extremely devastated that on this special day in the life of Persons with Disabilities not a single official of Gombe state Government was here to celebrate the succes of these less-previllaged members of the society. It’s our responsibility to support them to actualize their lifetime goals and potentials, these people can do anything we do, I can not understand why we are discriminating against them.”
The Assistant Director however assured PWDs Community of Gombe state on the continual support from the NYSC board not only in Gombe state but the country at large.
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