Distinguished Ladies Initiative (DLI), a non-governmental organisation, has commenced a campaign against bullying among children living with disabilities to nip future violent dispositions in the bud.
The group also seized the opportunity of the festive period to reach out to the less privileged in society.
Justifying the action, DLI President, Mrs Paris Sanusi, in a statement, said the NGO used the occasion of its “Spreading the Christmas Cheer”, end of the year visit to Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home/School, in Akoka, Lagos to sensitise the children on dangers of bullying.
Sanusi said the end of year programme was part of efforts by DLI to support and make the less privileged happy in the festive period, through the donation of food items, clothes, toys and other essential needs.
She said the event was also organised to celebrate and help the children in the home, discover their hidden talents and harnesses them, to help them grow into independent adults.
Sanusi advised the children to shun any instinct to bully others, and report bullies and their activities to their teachers and caregivers.
She advised the children to help each other, saying the strongest of them should not hit the weaker ones.
Sanusi stressed the need “to call out bullies amongst them, and for the bullies to change”, stressing that bullies never do well and those they bully, also get affected negatively.
She listed the negative consequences of bullying to include depression, suicide or murder hence, the need to guide against it.
She listed the types of bullying to include verbal, physical and cyberbullying.
She explained that the association is comprised of like mind career women, from diverse fields who frequently pull personal funds together for the welfare of vulnerable members of society to help them achieve their dreams.
“We do not believe that disability is the inability, hence, we do not want to see any child living with any form of disability or less privileged children, ending up on the streets begging.
“The DLI believes that every child has a potential and it just needs to be discovered,” she said.
Another member of DLI, Mrs Ronke Oshuntoku advised the students to believe in themselves and grow their competencies as well as abilities while pledging continued support of the NGO.
Also, Dr Yinka Olajide, another DLI member, commended the Modupe Cole Memorial Home for taking care of the children with special needs, while calling on the government to create enabling environment to drive initiatives for children with special needs.
Mr Isaac Aremu, Vice Principal Vocational Department, Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home, assured that there was no bullying in the school.
Aremu said because most of the children were abandoned by their parents, “they see themselves as brothers and sisters here, hence they don’t bully each other”.
He, however, promised extra vigilance to ensure the menace of bullying does not creep into the school while thanking DLI for the gift items donated and also listing other needs of the children.
He said the school was dedicated to the care of people with special needs, by providing comforts in the environment for them.
