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The International Association of Lions Clubs District 404B2 Nigeria on Friday, 25th October, took a medical mission to schools in the Agege Local Government Area in Lagos State. It also planted trees at another as part of its “Pillars of Service Activities” for the 2024/25 Lions calendar year.
Members of the club first went to Sango Primary School, Agege, where they highlighted the impact of climate change and the need to mitigate it by being environmentally friendly and not engaging in activities that harm the environment.
Lions Club members went ahead and planted trees on the school premises.
At a school complex in the local government in which many secondary schools such as Dairy Farm Secondary School, District Junior College, and Sango Secondary School, amongst others are situated, the pupils were given a lecture on the importance of the eyes and how to take care of them. Hundreds of pupils from different schools were screened for eye defects, and those that needed corrective lenses were given, while those that needed referrals were referred accordingly.
Speaking at the event, Lion Shittu Fashola, chairperson for 2024/25 Pllars of Service activity, said that Lions club is a service organization that renders service to the needy and vulnerable in society in the areas of vision, pediatric cancer, hunger relief, youth empowerment, environment, diabetes awareness, disaster relief and others.
He stated that the club members planted trees at the secondary school in order to draw attention to the impact of climate change on society and the need to arrest the situation.
“We also conducted eye tests on many of the students and will provide corrective glasses and medications to those that will need them,” he said.
The committee chairperson added that some of the teachers and other staff members would be tested and given glasses and medications if need be.
Lion Shittu disclosed that the club would also train and empower youths with skills in the area of soap making, barbing and others, adding that the club will provide the beneficiaries with necessary equipments to start their businesses.
He said that some of the youths would be taught how to give first aid in cases of an emergency.
He disclosed that the club will give food items to over 500 members of the community and give high yielding seedlings to over 100 farmers in the bid to increase food supply in the area.
Also speaking at the event, Lion Bolanle Apete Olukoya. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Lions Clubs District 404B2 Nigeria, said the club was executing its “Pillar of Service” project for the 2024/25 Lions service year, which focused on the eight core services of the club.
She said that Agege was chosen after the club conducted a needs assessment and discovered that many people in the community needed to have their eyes tested.
“We wanted to deliver the service to the people who actually needed it, and that was why we did it for the people at the grassroots,” Olukoya stated.
However, Mrs. Wasiat Bolajoko Adedeji, principal, Dairy Farm Secondary School, Agege, thanked the club for bringing the project to her school.
She said that this was not the first time the club was executing projects in the school. She charged the students to be obedient and listen to their parents and guardians. She urged parents and guardians to be close to their children and wards in order to know what is happening in their lives.
Lion Dr. Kelechi Onyedi, head of the Lions Club’s Global Service Implementation team’s vision programme and an optometrist, expressed gratitude to the district governor for initiating activities in the Agege suburb that align with the Lions Club’s service pillars. He stated that students and staff participated in interactive eye health sessions, received eye screenings, and were provided glasses and medication as needed, aligning with the “Love Your Eyes Children” theme for World Sight Day 2024.
Dr. Onyedi emphasized the importance of regular eye examinations for children, recommending annual check-ups, as eyes are crucial for learning.
Dr. Onyedi stated that while the day’s activity carried out also included tree planting, the next day’s service activities at Agege Local Government Legislative Building would take care of the other service activities. Residents, particularly the underprivileged, wee encouraged to attend and benefit from the events, especially the youth empowerment training and skill development programs for youths. Raw food items will be distributed among other essential items. There would also be community health screenings, counseling, and support services, amongst several other activities.
