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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
No fewer than 2,000 residents of Amube Evuazu community in Obeleagu Umana, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State have benefitted from a free medical outreach organised by Adani Care Foundation, with a major focus on eye examination, treatment and prescription glasses.
The three-day medical outreach, which commenced on Wednesday, attracted a massive turnout of rural dwellers, including widows, elderly persons and the sick, many of whom had never undergone any form of eye examination in their lifetime.
Speaking during the outreach, President and founder of Adani Care Foundation, Josephine Nneka Jemie, said the initiative was part of the foundation’s mission to bring healthcare services to underserved populations in rural Nigeria and selected communities in the United States.
“I am the President and Founder of Adani Care Foundation. This is actually our fourth service event. What we do is to serve the needy, widows, orphans, the sick and the elderly in rural Nigeria and some areas in the United States. I realised that it is about creating awareness, and that is how Adani Care Foundation started,” she said.
Mrs Jemie explained that the foundation had consistently reached thousands of beneficiaries at each of its outreach programmes, noting that the current exercise was specifically designed to address eye-related health challenges.
“We recently served thousands and thousands of people in this area. This is our fourth event, and in each event we have thousands and thousands of persons. Today is mainly for eye examination, fixing and correction of eye lenses. This will go on for three days, and we also have medications for them,” she stated. She disclosed that the prescription glasses distributed during the outreach were sponsored by an American philanthropist and academic.
“The main sponsor of this outreach is Dr Gordon Mendenhall, Professor Emeritus at the University of Indianapolis. He is the one who sponsored the prescription glasses. We have suitcases full of prescription glasses. Adani Care Foundation and everyone here are so grateful,” she said. Jemie also expressed deep appreciation to her husband, Prof Onwuchekwa Jemie, for his unwavering support.
“I am also grateful for my husband, Prof. Onwuchekwa Jemie. Without him, this may not take place. He is here with me, supporting me,” she added.
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Chairman of the event, Aleke Emmanuel, commended the foundation for bringing relief to the community, describing the outreach as a lifeline for residents grappling with poverty and limited access to healthcare.
“I thank the Chief Executive of Adani Care Foundation, Josephine Ani, for bringing this kind of succour to my people who have been suffering. They have no food, medication is scarce, but she was able to lift us. We entered the new year with joy.”
He noted that several beneficiaries discovered underlying health conditions during the outreach.
“Yesterday was a very beautiful occasion. She provided food and medication, especially eye treatment. Many people were treated and given medications. Some people even had high blood pressure without knowing it. We are very grateful to Josephine and her husband for attracting this kind of thing to our community.
“Our prayer is that this programme will be sustained. Whatever it will cost for it to be sustained, God will provide it for them.”
Operational Manager of Adani Care Foundation, Ezinne Gladys Ezeh, said the turnout exceeded expectations, with about 500 people attended to on the first day.
“The activities have been moving on fine. It is a three-day event. Yesterday, we had a turnout we did not even expect. About 500 persons were attended to and today we already have a large number,” she said.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the foundation, describing the outreach as timely and life-changing, especially for elderly residents who had lived for years with untreated eye conditions.
