By Elizabeth Osayande

The Director of the Guidance and Counselling Unit at Education District 2, Maryland, Mrs Bola Adeni, has expressed her gratitude to the Olaoye Muibat Adesewa Childcare Foundation, OMACCF for organising a life-saving programme for secondary schools in Lagos State.

The non-governmental organisation, dedicated to empowering vulnerable children, celebrated its anniversary on October 1 with a health sensitisation and awareness event aimed at educating students about first aid techniques and promoting health awareness.

The event, titled “Be the Difference: Learn Child Health,” took place at the Ministry of Education, District 11, Maryland. Notable attendees included the Director of the Lagos State Ambulance Service, Mrs Beatrice Wuraola Makinde, and representatives from Emergency Response Africa, Sharon Bamidele Nwachukwu and Imhontu Shedrach, among others.

Meanwhile, Adeni described the event as “wonderful” and “life-saving.” She commended OMACCF for its initiative geared towards empowering youth to become lifesavers. “This will have a profound positive impact on our communities,” she stated. Adeni also expressed appreciation for the Lagos State Governor for providing an enabling environment for NGOs to carry out their activities.

The guest speaker, Director of the Lagos State Ambulance Services, Mrs Bamidele Makinde, spoke on the importance of prioritising children’s safety and well-being. She emphasised that “all hands should be on deck to care for these children. We should not solely entrust their care to caregivers; rather, we should also be concerned with their upbringing and health.”

Makinde elaborated on the theme “Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being,” explaining to the audience—which included schoolchildren, parents, and teachers—that protecting children’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being is crucial.

Also, the duo from Emergency Response Africa took turns to give practical sessions on life-saving skills and on how to apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, to victims of cardiac arrest before the arrival of medical personnel.

The founder of the Olaoye Muibat Adesewa Childcare Foundation, Olaoye Muibat Adesewa, shared that the organisation has made significant strides in its first year of existence. She noted that the primary goal of the seminar was to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to save lives in emergency situations. “The first thing we want these young people to know is what to do in emergencies to save lives,” Adesewa emphasised. “This programme is fundamentally about saving lives.”

Previously, OMACCF organised similar initiatives, including a menstrual hygiene awareness campaign in schools and communities throughout Lagos, where students received sanitary pads, detergents, hand sanitisers, and soaps. Adesewa described the NGO as “more than a passion” and “a journey of humanity fostering empathy toward human living.” The foundation aims to reach out to children in need, both locally and internationally, and appreciates collaborations such as the one with the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

The foundation’s partnership with Emergency Response Africa and the Lagos State Ministry of Education has enabled the organisation to provide critical health awareness programmes to students. Adesewa expressed her gratitude for this collaboration, stating that the foundation would be “happy to pursue more partnerships” to further its mission.

Omoshebi Adeyinka, a young student from Ajegunle Senior High School, Kosofe. Expressed her delight at the knowledge she gained during the “Be the Difference: Learn Child Health” seminar. “I am an SS3A student, and today I am happy to have learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR techniques from paramedic officers. This knowledge will help me in case of an emergency in my vicinity, community, or even at school,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Director/Principal of Baptist Junior Secondary School in Obanikoro, Mrs Bukola Nancy Adebileje, and a School Counsellor at Immaculate Senior High School in Maryland, Mr Adeboye M, also expressed their satisfaction with the event. A creative SS3C student from Community Senior High School in Alapere impressed everyone in the hall by drawing a portrait of OMACCF’s founder, Ms Adesewa.