2012 ANNUAL CHARITY CONVENTION ADDRESS

An address presented by me this day, the 19th day of October, 2012 in the occasion of our 2012 charity convention holding at Concorde Hotel, Owerri. His Excellency, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, The Executive Governor of Imo State, The SA to the Governor on Special Citizens, Hon. Kate Okoli, Honourable Commissioners here present, Honourable members of the House here present, Gentlemen of the Press, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, All other protocols duly observed: May I start by welcoming you all to our 2012 charity convention. Every year, Redemption International for the Blind puts together this programme in order to touch the lives of our brothers and sisters who for no faults of their own became blind. Most of these ones you see here today are born into some of the most wretched families in our society of which I am one. Most of these families struggle to meet with their basic needs how much more helping their blind wards with education. I am therefore truly excited that you are here today to witness this life changing charity convention. I am actively seeking for partnership so that together, we can jointly uplift the living standard and status of our blind wards. We are an international charitable organization registered in Scotland with charity number SC040825 with the major objectives of advancing the education of the blind and the granting of relief to those inneed by reason of age, ill health, financial hardship and the disadvantaged; and these we have consistently done this in the past 3 years on an annual basis to transform some of these lives. Please join us to provide sound education to the teaming blind and partially sighted persons in Nigeria as we work to establish an ultra modern institute for the blind in Imo State where books used in Nigerian schools can be transcribed into Braille and the blind taught on how to use the computer. We urge you and all public spirited individuals in our society to contribute to our Charity Education Trust Fund for the Blind (CETFB) to enable us acquire laptop / desktop computers and to establish resource rooms in our tertiary institutions so that study materials and seminars can be electronically formatted for use by blind students. Your Excellency, As the champion of free education in Imo State, we use this medium to plead with His Excellency, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, our action governor to consider as a matter of urgency, the establishment of special school for the blind in the State. Imo remains the only State in the whole of South-East without such a school. In like manner, we urge governments all over the nation to invest more in the education of the blind. The United Nations millennium goal on Education for All shall remain a farce unless an all inclusive wholistic approach to education is adopted by the authorities without discrimination as to race, sex, language, religion, disability, etc. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, If there is anybody in this country that must be assisted, if there is indeed anybody in this nation who truly deserves help and support, it is these ones here gathered today. The Lord will ask you on that day to give account of these people. There are many more who need more facilities than we can afford to give; and there are indeed many more who need more funds than we can afford. Please extend your hands of fellowship to these ones and the good Lord will reward you back in no small measure. You may wish to support us financially on monthly or on an annual basis. Together, we can help create impacts that generations unborn would live to remember. Our needs are many ranging from land to equipment most of which are highly capital intensive. Please help put a smile on the face of one blind child today!!! God bless you all in Jesus’ name. Amen. Written by: Sunny Ezurike Esq. Redemption International for the Blind Email: sunny.ezurike@riftb.org Website: www.riftb.org Tel: 08136740193