A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Attaawun Islamic Education Fund, Minna, Niger state, in collaboration with Adegbola Hamza Foundation Oyo state, and Muslim Association of Visually impaired of Nigeria (MAVIN) have empowered about 150 persons with visual impairment on how to write using Braille.
The workshop which draw participants from Katsina, Kogi,Niger,Kaduna,Kano and FCT, included both male, female as well as children.
The participants were trained on how to use the Braille to write and read the Holy Quran as well as other literatures.
The Chief Imam of FUT Minna and Chairman of Attaawun Education foundation whose centre also served as the host, Dr Bashir Yankuzo, said the idea of supporting the Visually impaired was born after his first contact with Malam Sanusi Pandogari, the Niger state MAVIN chairman who complained about their challenges which includes lack of office, which Attaawun foundation saw as an opportunity to render.
He believed “people wanted to assist but they need a reliable channel; not that they don’t want to help”.
Over 150 people cut across all genders and beginner’s participated in the Braille training workshop which includes many that just started knowing what is Braille for the first time in their life.”.
The title of the workshop, visual impairment not disability “was aimed at empowering the Visually impaired with the knowledge of how to use the Braille to write and read the Quraan and other literature as well as built their capacity with some skills to discovered their hidden talents and discouraged them of street begging engaged by many people with special needs.”
In his remarks, the special assistant to Niger state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello on people with special needs matter, Malam Abdulrahman Bida, applauded Attaawun for being the pacesetter over the empowerment.
He charged the participants to blend the knowledge they acquired with some skill so as to become self reliance.
” Skills acquisition is what support knowledge, who so ever refused to exposed himself to self reliance, no matter his status of education is bound to submit to illegally. .
