From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
No fewer than 400 inhabitants of Adebomi village and its environs at Odo-Ona Elewe community in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State benefitted from a medical outreach and distribution of food items organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Least People Outreach, at the weekend.
During the outreach, the beneficiaries were tested for blood pressure. They also did eye test, sugar level and so on. Those among them that needed eyeglasses were tested and were given free of charge. After the completion of the medical attention during the outreach, the beneficiaries were given one pack of good items each, before leaving for their houses.
Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Ifeoluwa Fashola, who is based in Dallas, United States of America, led the organisation to the community at the weekend to put smiles on the cheeks of the more than 20 scores of people.
He stated that the programme was organised to meet the needs of underprivileged in the society with food and medical outreach. He added that the vision started in Washington in year 2000, and also started in Dallas in 2012 through food pantries, which refer to food bank to get food for the common people.
According to him, the organisation got to Nigeria in 2014, saying development partners – The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Jesus Dwelling and Jesus Altar, came on board.
“So, we started the outreach in Nigeria in 2016. We focused on the Adebomi community because we did not want to be jumping here and there without making any significant impact. So, we have been running the outreach every month from the 2016 till date in the same community. But we had a break sometime in 2019 till 2020 because of COVID-19. Then, we started again in 2021 and we have been meeting the needs of the people.
“We want to establish the food bank, and we need three to five acres or more of land, funds and volunteers. The items that we blessed people with during the outreach, included rice, garri, beans, noodles and so on. God has used us to put smiles on the cheeks of the young and old, irrespective of religious and cultural affiliations.
The Country Director, the Least People Outreach, Moses Oladimeji, also stated: “We started the programme in 2016. We met many hungry people in this community. I meant people that had not eaten for two days, in spite of the fact that many of them were involved in hard labour. Some of them could not feed their families. So, we have been feeding individuals and families since we started. On every programme, we have been reaching out to between 400 and 500 people.
“When we started this outreach, we came across some people, whose blood pressures have gone up to 200. Then, we had people with high sugar level. They did not have food to eat, and they did not have money to pay hospital bills. We have been able to manage them.
“God used this organisation to reach out to a woman, who is using one artificial eye. She was supposed to be sterilizing the eye at regular intervals. But the woman did not sterilize the contact eye for five years. She did not know. So, our doctors sterilize the eye for her and she has been given a referral note to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for further attention. If bacteria had infected the artificial lens, it could affect the eye negatively and could also infect the second eye that did not have any problem presumably.
“We want to establish a food bank in Ibadan. So, we encourage well-to-do people to partner with us in order to reach out to the underprivileged. Food from the bank will be purely for charity and not for any religious organisation.
“However, some of the beneficiaries thanked the Least People Outreach for the gesture. But majority of them, it was observed, have issues of detective eyes, and high blood pressure. Mrs. Victoria Ogunyemi I one of the beneficiaries. She stated that she has high blood pressure and also has issues with her eyes. She said she was attended to very well, and she was satisfied. Another beneficiary, Mrs. Kemisola Ipinmoroti, also said she had high blood pressure and could not read tiny letters in books. She said she was tested, counselled, given drugs and free reading glasses.
In the same vein, Prophetess Evelyn Eluwoyin, said: “I came here to take care of my eyes. I have cataract and I need surgery to remove it. The doctors here tested me and told me that the cataract is not yet ripe and when it is time, it will be operated on.”
A landlord and technician in the Adebomi community, Mr. Remi Adeile, stated: “I have problems with my eyes. I could not read. If I wanted to read, the lettering would be somehow blurred. So, I came for help. When I got here, doctors tested me and they asked me to read some letters. Thereafter, I was given a reading glasses. I used the glasses to read very well. I think I am okay now.”
