Lagos: As part of efforts to fight hunger, the Pukka Logistics and Support Service Ltd., in collaboration with the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), have distributed food items to no fewer than 240 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The outreach to celebrate PWDs in Lagos was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the logistics company.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Florence Austin of CCD stated that the event was organized to distribute rice and groundnut oil to 240 PWDs. The PWDs include individuals with albinism, deafness, blindness, physical challenges, spinal cord injuries, and intellectual disabilities. “We organized the event through cluster heads to ensure orderly distribution and also provided security due to past incidents. The event aims to honour children and PWDs, emphasising the importance of inclusion and support,” she said.
The Managing Director of Pukka Logistics, Mrs. Beulah Akingbelu-Banjo, highlighted that the company had initiated an ambitious mission to combat food poverty while also championing the dignity of PWDs. She noted that the latest initiative involved partnering with the CCD to distribute food items to PWDs. Addressing the clusters of PWDs, she said, “Whether you are created with disabilities or it befell you, you are special. Your life matters. You have a specific purpose in life, the reason and the essence why you are created, and disability or anything else cannot stop you. You can see a lot of people who got popular, who got into places they could never have been just by the virtue of the fact that they have some disabilities. So, do not despair. It’s such a beautiful thing when people are not limited by their physical abilities anymore.”
Akingbelu-Banjo acknowledged the support from British-Indian business partners Jai Mahtani and Sudeep Ramnani, stating that their goal extends beyond mere food distribution. The initiative is about restoring dignity, challenging perceptions, and proving that disability is not inability. Pukka Logistics and Support Service Ltd., in collaboration with the Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), successfully distributed food items to PWDs in Lagos State.
Mr. Anuoluwayinka Isaac, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind and an entrepreneur, praised the programme for providing food support to alleviate the effects of subsidy removal and hunger, especially significant during the festive period.