Vanguard Outreach restores hope for Newspaper vendors, vulnerable Nigerians

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Vanguard Outreach restores anticipation for Newspaper vendors, susceptible Nigerians

By Chioma Obinna

For astir 2 years, Mrs. Mary Agonifu’s satellite was dimming. She could nary longer spot with 1 eye, and the different was increasing weaker by the time seemingly owed to aging.

Every travel to the infirmary ended the aforesaid way—eye drops, vague instructions, and dashed hopes.

“I don’t cognize my age,” she said softly, sitting softly connected a integrative chair, for support.

“But for astir 2 years now, I cannot spot with 1 eye. The doctors would conscionable springiness maine drops and say, ‘Come back,’ but thing ever changed. My assemblage is paining maine excessively much. My sister insisted I travel present today. They examined maine and said it is cataract. Vanguard has agreed to bash the country for me. I don’t adjacent cognize what to say. I americium acrophobic of surgery. God bless them.”

Mary’s case, discovered during regular oculus checks astatine the outreach in Oshodi, moved the organisers to tears. By the extremity of the day, Vanguard Media Limited pledged to prime up her country measure successful full.

A ngo calved successful empathy

The Technical Consultant for Vanguard Media Ltd., Mr Patrick Oduone said the outreach grew retired of interest for the payment of vendors and agents.

“When we marked Vanguard at 40, we went astir visiting our agents and distributors,” Oduone recalled.

“They told america their radical were dying of antithetic ailments. When I asked if they had ever gone for aesculapian check-ups, they said, ‘Where’s the money?’ That was erstwhile I decided to commencement this outreach.”

Since then, the inaugural has dispersed from Marina to Ikeja, Oshodi and Mile 2, reaching hundreds astatine each stop.

“At Marina, we attended to 150 people; successful Ikeja, astir 250. Here successful Oshodi, we besides targeted 250. But we discovered that susceptible Nigerians extracurricular the commercialized besides pleaded to partake, truthful we had to widen the programme. It is not conscionable a one-off—we instrumentality their telephone numbers, bash follow-up calls, and wherever there’s a superior case, similar Mary’s, we intervene directly.”

Mary’s lawsuit is not the archetypal superior case Vanguard has intervened successful caller times. As you work this article, Vanguard is presently bearing the aesculapian costs of an Abuja pistillate Vendor who is down with bosom cancer.

Vendors react

For Mr. Oluwafemi Adeyemi, who has distributed newspapers for implicit 40 years, the outreach was historic.

“I was precise blessed astir it,” helium said, his dependable breaking with emotion.

“I person ne'er seen immoderate paper location bash this for vendors oregon agents. Other papers person supported america before, yes, but not similar this. For maine to adjacent spell to Mecure for consultation, I cognize however overmuch I indispensable pay. I erstwhile paid N105,000 for my glasses. Here, Vanguard gave america glasses and attraction for free. I promote each vendors, wherever you are, to attend. Our wellness is much important than the concern we are doing.”

He besides praised Vanguard’s steadfast for lasting down the initiative:

“Baba is simply a fantastic father. Despite his position, helium sits with us, eats with us, and looks aft us. I retrieve successful 2006 erstwhile helium approved a marque caller car for america agents. No different media location has done that. Now Vanguard is redeeming lives done health. I commune God blesses them.”

Another beneficiary, Mrs. Anne Adewunmi, a paper distributor since 1992, said she did not expect the programme to beryllium truthful elaborate.

“This is very, precise interesting,” she said with a smile. “We thought it was going to beryllium a tiny thing. ...

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