TQM report
“International Days” are celebrated to mark important aspects of human life and history, hence the ‘Spinal Cord Injury Day’ which is celebrated on 5th September every year with the intention of increasing awareness amongst the general public. It is presumed that the awareness would facilitate an inclusive life for persons with disability and ensure greater chances of success of prevention programmes.
Rebuilding Hope on Wheels Initiative (RHOWI) joined the world in this year celebration of the day with “an interactive workshop for peer supporters and families affected by spinal cord injuries at the Palace Treats, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State. The workshop recorded participants from Ogun, Oyo and Osun State among others south western states of Nigeria.
RHOWI capitalized on this year’s theme “Covid-19 and SCI: Staying well” to organize the workshop and meeting for the peers supporter in south west Nigeria. Among discussion focus at this workshop was nutrition, bladder and bowel care, pressure ulcers prevention and cure, increasing empathy in peer support and staying well with COVID-19.
In her opening remark Hajia Amina Rahma Audu, founder of RHOWI and a board member of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities thanked every participant at the workshop, she reiterated the importance of spinal cord injury day in creating awareness for SCI and give reasons why we must formed ourselves into strong peers supporters to give hope to new entrants into the SCI world and as well lighten up those that are dampen in fear of the unknown. She also said a word of thanks to their partners Wheels of Happiness Foundation, More Than Walking and Mrs. Foluke Idowu and her team from International Living Programme for People Living with Disability (ILP).
Participant at the workshop were excited the workshop was put in place, they agreed it’s a long overdue step taken to put spinal cord injury survivors on the conscience of the society hoping it will pave way for the elusive inclusive society.
Mr. Sope Alabede a member of RHOWI who moderated the workshop enjoined all participants to see their self as a shining light to the society and others living with SCI that are still in denial stage. Mr. Lucky Olayinka who led the Osun State delegation to the workshop was full of praises to RHOWI for putting up such a laudable program for peer supporters which will in turn have ripple effect on spinal cord injury survivors in Nigeria.
All the participants utnanimously make a passionate call to government and the society at large to give spinal cord injury critical attention for survivors not to go through the attendant effect of living with spinal cord injury, they call on government and corporate organization in the country to put up a comprehensive rehabilitation center for spinal cord injury treatment and management.
On his part Mr. Ayo Awobona the South West Coordinator of RHOWI implored all participants to be empathetic while carrying out their peer supporter duty, empathy he said is important because it improves connection between all parties and it increases the will of helping each other. In his closing remark he said spinal cord injury is not the end of the world to a survivor but the beginning of another world which can only be made interesting by the support a survivor have access to.
See Pictures of the event
