A Non-Governmental Organi-sation (NGO), After My Heart Global Foundation Inc, Nigeria branch, has admonished Nigerians against stigmatisation of discharged coronavirus patients.
The Administrative Head of the NGO in Nigeria, Mrs. Erhumwunsee Osaretin, who gave the admonition while giving out face masks to the Aiyetoro-Makun Community people in Sagamu, Ogun State, on behalf of the NGO, charged the people to use the face masks regularly and to wash it daily. She told them that the face mask is not for fashion, which they can keep in pocket or handbag or only for occasionally use but meant to be worn when in public, to prevent and protect them against coronavirus.
Erhumwunsee said the NGO picked Aiyetoro community as first phase for the face masks distribution because the global NGO, which is into welfarism for the people, especially the vulnerable and less privileged, to save people’s lives, believes that Aiyetoro people should be reached out to first to save them from exposing themselves to coronavirus pandemic.
Similarly, the National Director of the NGO, Engineer Akhigbe Matthew Adodo, while responding to some of the community people who had requested for money rather than face masks, reminded them that the NGO was in the community to give out the face masks and also to sensitise them of the need to stay safe.
Adodo reiterated that since only a healthy person can think of money-making ventures, wearing the face masks and observing regular washing of hands with running water and soap, as well as maintenance of social distancing, would give them sound health to embark on wealth-creating ventures.
He urged them to know that coronavirus is not only rich people’s disease as most of them erroneously say.
In his remarks, chairman of the Parents/Teachers Association of the Saint Paul’s Anglican School, Aiyetoro-Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, the premises where the programme took place, Mr. Sodimu Olasukunmi, noted that this NGO has bailed the community out of marginalisation, stating that since they have been hearing of coronavirus or palliatives, the NGO was the only one that has ever considered the community as a place being inhabited by human beings. He called on federal and the state governments to treat the community as part of the Nigerian society.
A beneficiary, Isaac Ogundare, one of the community leaders, while commending the NGO for making the people to have sense of belonging to Nigerian society, urged other NGOs and governments to spread their palliatives to people living in rural areas rather than concentrating only on people living in big cities.
