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By Johnson Adebowale
Determined to improve health and wellbeing, strengthen communities and support those in need through humanitarian efforts that impact lives, the Lions Clubs International, District 404 A3, has unveiled its agenda for the years 2023–2024.
The pioneer District Governor, Shakiru Adeniyi Balogun, said N150 million was budgeted for humanitarian projects designed to impact the lives of citizens across the country.
He disclosed this at a parley with newsmen in Lagos while informing them of the activities lined up for the service year 2023-2024, with the theme “Heart of Service,” by his administration for the new district, which covers Lagos and Ogun states.
Balogun, who is passionate about serving humanity, urged the government as well as rich and influential citizens to assist poor Nigerians who are passing through hard times.
The governor said the club, on its part, would not relent in playing a supportive role by relentlessly pursuing its five major goals of serving over two million vulnerable people in areas like childhood cancer, hunger, the environment, diabetes and vision.
Balogun, who will be officially presented to the public on September 9, 2023, at Musical Village, Ikorodu, Lagos, expressed his readiness to pilot the club to great heights.
He said: “We’re known for humanitarian services, and we’ll never get tired of doing our obligation. We offer selfless services at all times and have been at the forefront of serving the humanities. We have a vision, and our vision meant everything related to care until recently when we expanded to other service areas.
“We offer charge-free cataract and glaucoma surgeries to vulnerable citizens. Here in Nigeria, we are contributing to the eradication of total blindness, and we still have other projects we’re yet to make known to the public. This year, our human services coverage has improved. Apart from raising awareness about diabetes, cancer, the environment, vision and hunger, we will also do more in the area of empowerment.
“We realised there’s a need for us to eradicate hunger in our society by giving support to the less privileged. This Lion’s year will cover all aforementioned areas. But, we’re going to pay more attention to two particular areas: vision and diabetes. By the beginning of this Lion’s year, which is July 1, we had executed some projects.
“As Lions, we’ll fund so many projects that will have a positive impact on the general society with our time, treasure, and talent. Every year, we contribute, and part of this money will be raised by members of the club and from the general public. So we’re using this opportunity to invite the public to my official presentation as District Governor and fundraising that will come up on September 9, 2023. We have little but a larger heart for whatever cause we want to pursue, and I believe all will be achievable.”
