Rehabilitation Centre Graduates 41 Rehabilatees
The Lagos State Ministry of Youths & Social Development in partnership with Literacy Integration & Formal Education (LIFE) Foundation and Altrad Prezicon Limited graduate 41 rehabilitees at the Ikorodu Rehabilitation & Training Centre Majidun.
The event which is the first of its kind since the establishment of the centre in 1984 drew many to tears as rehabilitees share their experiences of being mentally challenged and how the centre stabilized and empowered them with income sustaining skills through the support of LIFE Foundation and Altrad Prezicon Ltd.
Representing the Ministry the Director for Admin and Human Resources Mr Ogunsanya Adewunmi congratulates the rehabilitees charging them to make the best use of the skills they have acquired at the centre, in a bid to avoid a relapse.
President of LIFE Foundation Mrs Elvira Salleras says that hope is restored to the rehabilitees who were once rejected by society, family and friends. She states that the foundation has put structures in place to properly integrate the rehabilitees into the society, with due follow up so that they can share their stories of success a year from now.
The Managing Director of Altrad Prezicon Ltd a French offshore construction and management company, Mrs Maya Omar adds that supporting LIFE Foundation and the Rehabilitation Centre is part of the organisations corporate social responsibility initiative and they plan on doing more with other rehabilitation centres across Nigeria.
Start off tools and certificates of participation were given to the graduands as an encouragement to starting life again on a clean slate in a bid to avoid begging and a relapse which is a frequent occurrence in the centre says Mr Adewunmi
The centre also caters for children of destitute and the mentally challenged picked up on the road or referred to the centre by family members. These children are taken through a school system in the centre and are only taken to orphanage homes if their parents cannot be stabilized.
The 41 graduands expressed satisfaction showing preparedness to be fully integrated into the society during their 5 months skill acquisition training in catering, horticulture and fashion design amongst others.