The Karomagiji Disability Colony in the Federal Capital Territory came alive on Tuesday as LAN Healthcare Initiative hosted its 5th annual outreach in commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The event, which has become a yearly tradition of compassion and inclusion, once again provided a vibrant platform to promote awareness, health education, and community support for persons with disabilities.
For five years, LAN Healthcare Initiative has consistently reached out to disability communities across the FCT, reaffirming its mission to empower vulnerable groups and dismantle the barriers of stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion.
Speaking during the event, Charles Eboh, a clinical psychologist and Program Coordinator at LAN Healthcare Initiative, described the 2025 edition as a “special and inclusive celebration” designed to engage children and adults across multiple disability clusters. These include the blind, deaf, persons with physical disabilities, individuals with albinism, and other disability groups living within the community.
“We come here every year because we understand the challenges persons with disabilities face — the stigma, the discrimination, and the isolation that make many feel like they don’t belong,” Eboh said.
“We come with relief materials, funfair, and emotional support to reassure them that there is nothing different between them and the rest of society.”
A Vision Born in Compassion
One of the founders of LAN Healthcare Initiative, Angela Brown, traced the origin of the initiative to 2007, when three friends living in the United States decided to channel their passion for giving back into a structured humanitarian effort. The group focused on rehabilitation and primary healthcare support for vulnerable communities.
Brown emphasized that LAN Healthcare Initiative has largely been self-funded over the years, but expressed gratitude to the SDF Foundation for its support.
“We want persons with disabilities to know they are loved, valued, and heard,” she said.
“There is nothing different about them — we are all one, and that is why we are here, year after year, to identify with them.”
A Carnival of Inclusion, Awareness, and Joy
The atmosphere at the event was festive, with colorful displays, music, and joy radiating from every corner of the colony. Children had a field day on the bouncing castle, while ice-cream stands and dance performances kept both young and old entertained. For many participants, the event felt like a carnival dedicated to restoring hope and creating cherished memories.
The outreach featured a rich lineup of activities, including:
Health awareness and education sessions
Mental health talks led by professionals
Experience-sharing by community members
Discussions on inclusion and empowerment
Fun and interactive activities for children and adults
Distribution of food items and relief materials, including rice, spaghetti, and other essentials
Beyond the entertainment, the program delivered essential knowledge on mental health — a topic often overlooked in disability communities but crucial for resilience and well-being.
Community Leaders Pour Out Appreciation
The Secretary of the Karomagiji Disability Community, Mohammed Dantani, could not hold back his gratitude for the long-standing support from LAN Healthcare Initiative.
“We appreciate their consistent love and support. They have stood by us for years. Persons with disabilities deserve to be included in all sectors, and gestures like this give us hope,” he said.
Another community member, Rabiu Mustapha, Secretary of the Women With Disabilities group in Karomagiji, also expressed heartfelt appreciation.
“LAN Healthcare Initiative has shown us great concern year after year. We pray that God blesses them abundantly,” she said.
Representing the government, Madam Gloria Onwuka commended the organization for its steadfast commitment and for successfully sustaining the outreach for five years.
“This is remarkable. We extend a hand of collaboration, especially in awareness creation, because events like this remind us of our shared responsibility to uplift persons with disabilities,” she added.
A Celebration of Humanity, Dignity, and Inclusion
The 2025 outreach by LAN Healthcare Initiative once again reinforced the power of community support, love, and collective responsibility toward building an inclusive society. From health talks to shared laughter, from relief items to empowering messages, the event echoed a resounding truth: every life matters, and every voice deserves to be heard.
For the Karomagiji Disability Colony, it was more than an event — it was a day of dignity, visibility, and joy. And for LAN Healthcare Initiative, it was another milestone in its unwavering 18-year-old mission to strengthen communities through compassion, healthcare, and inclusion.
