By Damiete Braide
In commemoration of this year’s Valentine’s Day, National Association of Nigerian Visually Impaired Students, University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, on Tuesday, demonstrated the essence of the day by showering love and gifts on children at Olukoye Ransome-Kuti Children Emergency Centre, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos.
Led by Okeke Emeka, president of the association and a final year student of Human Resource Management, UNILAG, the students went out to celebrate the day with children at the various wards.
Items donated to the children included tissue paper, toothpastes, antiseptic liquid, medicated soaps, detergents, wipes, diapers and brushes, among others.
Okeke said: “February 14 is Valentine’s Day, when lovers exchange gifts and express their love to one another, but we have decided to take it a step further by leaving our immediate environment to come to the children’s ward to express our love to the children.
“We have come here, we have seen, heard and learnt a lot of things that made us appreciate life and understand that the expression of love is not to your immediate environment alone. When you extend love to those who you do not know, you are investing in humanity. This is why we have come to give back to our immediate environment and ensure that, these little things we do, we can change our society.”
In the same vein, head, planning committee Ahmed Kareem, who is a final year student, said: “The visit is to make people understand that no matter the level you are, there is someone out there that needs you as an inspiration.
“We are visually impaired or blind and we are not financially buoyant but from the little we have, we have brought them to share with the children.”
Ahmed appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to support them as they intend to visit other places at the end of the month to show love and care to the less privileged in the society.
“With our visit to the children’s ward, we have learnt that there are young children out there that need the hands of love and support in various ways. We pray that soonest, there will be testimonies in their lives, that they have not experienced before,”he said.