By Asmau Ahmad with NAN Report
Dec.17, 2014 ; Some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving in Cross River, have donated drugs and eye glasses to 205 aged persons in Ntamante Community in Boki Local Government Area. The corps members, who belong to the Community Development Service (CDS) group on Health and Gender, made the donation on Wednesday during a free eye test programme.
The President of the group, Dr Archibong Etim, said that members of the group undertook a need assessment exercise of the community and discovered that most aged persons were having difficulties with their sight.
“As a group, we decided to donate these eye glasses and drugs to alleviate the pains of the aged in this community”
“Residents of this community have been so kind to us, the donation is a way of appreciating their warm reception and kindness towards us,” he said.
Another member of the group, Dr Zainab Mohammed, said the eye was an important sense organ that needed regular checkup and treatment where necessary.She said the group decided to make the donation because most aged men and women in the community could not afford money to buy medicated eye glasses and drugs. Other members of the group who spoke to NAN said the donation was meant to ameliorate the plight of the aged persons in the community. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Paulina Etta, 72, thanked the group for their humanitarian service. The leader of the community, Mr Sylvanus Obi, who lauded the efforts of the corps members, said the donation would go a long way to improve the sight of the aged in the community. Mr Albert Effiong, an NYSC official who monitored the exercise, commended the group for their good work.
