DIASPORA umbrella body, the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (Canuk) has asked for contributions and sponsorship from Nigerians in Britain to enable it fund the proposed disability fund day due to take place on September 19.
Organised by Canuk, the event has been christened Canuk Disability Day and will take place at the Enfield Town Hall in north London. Several Nigerian charities and organisations that work with disabled people including the Pamela Douglas Foundation Worldwide, Ovo Foundation, Star Children Initiative and the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians.
Expected to attract many Nigerians living with disabilities across the UK, the day has been designed to provide them with a range of activities and entertainment. Starting from 11am and lasting until 6pm, the event will have Nigerians with disabilities at the centre of its activities, with many of them taking leading roles in managing affairs.
Canuk chairman Babatunde Loye said: “We believe that it is imperative to organise this event as it is important that Canuk reaches out to the entire community in the UK, including the disabled community. However, we need the community to helps us fund it, so would appreciate it if Nigerians in the UK and the component organisations that make up Canuk make generous contributions towards the cause.
“By our calculations, if individuals make a contribution of £30 each and organisations give us £50 each, this will help us cover our costs. All monies should be paid to the Canuk account at Lloyds Bank with the account number 00224400 and the sort code 301553.”
Canuk treasurer Ronke Adeagbo urged anyone contributing to please provide their details with all payments and make it clear that the money was going towards the disability day by including the initials CDD with all contributions. She added that after the event, Canuk will publish an account of how all the money was spent.
Dr Ife Akintunde, the chairman of the organising committee, added that he is confident that the event will be a huge success as it offers everything including entertainment, food, cultural displays, dancing and love performances from people living with disabilities. He added that it should empower Nigerians living with disabilities in the UK to be more confident about themselves and refuse to accept the restrictions imposed on them.
Kate Anolue, the former mayor of Enfield, added that hopefully, the event will empower the parents of children with disabilities to be more optimistic about the future. She added that if they meet and interact with other parents facing similar situations, they will appreciate the fact that a lot of help and support is available.
