Solomon Elusoji
On May 18, hundreds of Lagosians trooped into Sheba Centre, an events centre off Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, to access a free eye clinic which had been set up by the management of the centre in collaboration with 4Breathe 4Life, a nonprofit organisation determined to reduce the number of newborn deaths in the country.
The patients were attended to by a group of professional eye specialists, including Dr. Rajvinder Pabla, a certified optometrist who runs an eye care clinic in Orangeville, Canada.
“I appreciate what they did here today,†a trader and one of the beneficiaries of the clinic, Fausat Okeowo, told THISDAY. “They gave me some drugs and I was attended to by a professional. It’s not everyone who has the money to visit eye doctors.â€
On the motive for hosting the clinic, the Chief Executive Officer of Sheba Centre, Ms. Omolara Adelusi, said it was borne out of a philosophy of ‘giving back’. “I have this philosophy in life; you don’t start living until your life goes beyond you,†she said.
“Everything should not end at naira and kobo. Your business must have a human face to it. At Sheba Centre, we believe so much in that. So when 4Breath 4Life contacted us, we jumped at it and gave them the space for free, while helping with other things. We are always ready to contribute back to our community.â€
The company equally has a Corporate Social Responsibility arm, and Adelusi is the head of a nonprofit, Nehemiah Hope Initiative, which has been able to reach a lot of people in the northern part of the country, providing assistance to those affected by conflict.
