Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Old students of Basden Memorial Special Education Centre, have called on Anambra State Government, spirited individuals, and philanthropists for interventions towards the rehabilitation of facilities at the state’s special school.
According to them, the condition of Basden, a school for the blind, deaf, and dumb located in Isulo, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State, has deteriorated and needs urgent interventions to save the students from sufferings, untimely death, and disaster.
During their joint 3rd annual general meeting which was also used to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Association’s President, Barrister Lilian Evughire, the old students lamented the condition of facilities and the sufferings of pupils having their education at the centre.
At the event which took place at the school premises during the weekend, Barr Evughire noted that students of the school have lacked basic amenities like electricity and water supply for 27 years of its existence.
According to her, “From the inception of the school till date, there is nothing like electricity in the school.
“The hostels are not conducive and habitable for special students. They are living in hostels without doors, windows, and licking roofs. You could see these students struggling to survive.
“Again, the environment is not accessible for Persons with visual impairment; the entire area is badly damaged by gully erosion caused by rampaging flood.”
Evughire, who is a Principal State Council in the Federal Ministry of Justice, said due to the lack of electricity to pump water, students with visual impairment regularly go to the village stream to fetch water for their daily use. The situation exposes them to kidnappers and criminals lurking around the area.
“Again, due to the lack of electricity, almost all the staff of the center are living outside the school premises, leaving the students lonely and isolated in the school.
“There have been unreported cases of rape of the students by criminals because of the exposure and the general insecurity in the school.”
Earlier, the Principal at Basden Memorial Special Education Secondary School, Mrs Chinwe Chigozie, said the children are living by the mercy of God, noting that they are regularly tormented by the presence of reptiles and other wild animals because of the bushes around.
The principal, who complained about flood menace in the school, expressed fear that the forthcoming rainy season could wash away two buildings, having already pulled down some parts of the school fence.
She regretted that because of the lack of electricity to pump water, the visually impaired and other students openly defecate inside bushes at the risk of the hazards in the environment.
Speaking further, she urged the government and good-spirited individuals to consider building a skills acquisition center for the children to learn skills that will help them become self-reliant after leaving the centre.
“We need a skill acquisition centre because students with disabilities need to learn skills at the early stages of their lives to survive. Subjects like Government will not have any meaningful impact on their survival.”
“We are doing our best to introduce some skills to them but that is only the ones we can afford. If government and philanthropists can come to our aid and introduce a standard skill acquisition programme, automatically, it will do the students well.”
The Administrative Secretary of the school, Ebere Ichoku, said the children are special gifts from God and added that any help for the betterment of the children attracts special blessings from God.
