Anambra Imbeciles with a difference at Ozubulu RECDOT Center By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu

We don’t know  the freedom and privileges we enjoy for being alive without deformity until we see some deformed people around us.  Look at the pictures of some inmates of a rehabilitation center located in Ozubulu , Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state and weep.
 I wept at the Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled, old and tramps (RECDOT), at Ozubulu over the condition of the inmates but when I saw them strive with their special education , I conclude that there is ability in disability indeed.
At the home there are over 160 inmates out of which over 40 are imbeciles. Other inmates are cripples, physically and mentally challenged or vulnerable children between the ages of 6 and 18.  The greatest weapon these inmates have is happiness in spite of their condition. They sang praises to God Almighty to the extent it draws goose pimples on the faces of their visitors.
There are others with a medical problem called ‘hydrocephalic’ meaning accumulation of the fluids in the brain making them to have heads filled with water. Their body weights less and their trunks could not carry their heads, hence making them sit permanently in a place.
The founder, Mrs Rosemary Odunukwe  at the time of this visit said that three inmates are suffering from the hydrocephalic problem and needed about N1.7 million each for neuro-surgery even though one- Chizoba Nwogu from Abakaliki has over grown the health crisis and can now carry her head. The other two that needed the operation included 17 year old Osita Nnamso and 28 years Onyebuchi Onukwuli from Obeledu, Anambra state. There are new cases time did not permit to discuss their matter but the bottom line at RECDOT is that urgent assistant is needed there to rescue the health challenges of the inmates.
 
As well, RECDOT needed another over N3 million for such corrective surgery and physiotherapy for another 15 inmates. The home has expended over N4 million in rehabilitative surgery at Salvation Army Center Oji, Enugu state and Okani rehabilitation center Gboko , Benue state for surgery and physiotherapy.
It was observed that most of the inmates move with the assistance of wheel chairs while others without the wheel chairs were rolling themselves over the ground to get to the next point but with strict supervision and care by home givers. The home caregivers are two each for every 7 to 10 inmates in a room and they were doing their work cheerfully. 
 
The condition of the children was unbelievable as they found it too difficult to do virtually everything on their own even eating was like war. The compound was a large compound but the inhabitants are unique people with distinct qualities from God.
There conditions are hopeless but in that hopelessness, they have found happiness and uncommon dexterity in learning trade that marvels anyone who cares to ask questions.  
 The Founder/Director of the RECDOT, Mrs Rosemary Nkiru Odunukwe , said the center hosts children with difficulties including imbeciles, cripples and tramps (homeless beggars) thrown away by their parents or benefactors.
Her words as at the time of visit, ‘’ we have problem of accommodation here because if one person contacts a disease, it would spread to others hence we had a serious case of meningitis which affected 4 children leading to the death of one and three permanently in terrible situation. You can imagine 7 to 11 children in a room manned by two home care givers. So we need accommodation. It is a threatening indeed’’.
These activities had been on in the last 15 years and the home celebrated amidst jubilation and encomium penultimate month. The celebration was attended by people from all walks of life and fund raising were conducted for the upkeep of the Rehabilitation Center.

Speaking during the event, His Lordship, Most Rev. Hilary Okeke, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi diocese noted that the home has created a deep consciousness in some people who were used to the principal of "survival of the fittest" and the unfit used to be abandoned to their whims.

He commended Mrs Odunukwe for her good work and observed that RECDOT has taught many people how to be their brother's keeper in the society and prayed for God to give her the grace to continue the work, even as he urged the good people of Anambra and Nigeria at large to support Mrs Odunukwe and better the lives of the physically challenged persons in the society. 

According to the founder Mrs Rosemary Odunukwe the home is targeted at bringing God’s love to the needy by not only providing them with basic needs of life but to also give them formal and vocational training as their abilities permit them to understand that there is ability in disability.

"We turn our compassionate attention to the rehabilitation centre, home for those with disabilities.

Mrs Odunukwe further disclosed that the 15th year anniversary of RECDOT helped the home to create more awareness to the public on the status of people with different health challenges of all kinds. She argued that people with such problems deserves a maximum attention and generosity.

High points of the event were the fund raising ceremony for the completion of school buildings and cutting of the 15th anniversary cake and presentation of award to awardees.

The 15th years anniversary was used to raise fund to equip the Physiotherapy , Orthopedic clinic and complete the unfinished school building of RECDOT for the challenged inmates. The occasion will be chaired by Sir Victor Umeh , the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). 
Others to attend included Rt Rev Prof G.I.N Okpala , (JP) (OON) Anglican Bishop of Nnewi , Most Reverend Hilary Paul Odili Okeke , Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese; traditional rulers of Ozubulu and Nnewi Igwe Nnamdi Oruche , JP and Igwe K.O.N Orizu 111 (OON),  and Sir Jude Mbaegbu Chairman of Ekwusigo local government area.
 Chairman Publicity committee of the Anniversary planning Committee / Commissioner for Special Duties Anambra state , Hon Sir Norbert Obi said eminent personalities are members of the Board of RECDOT , including Hon Prof Amobi Ileka who is the chairman of Board of Trustees and thanked the planning committee chairman Very Rev Fr Theo N Odukwe and Most Rev Hillary Paul Odili Okeke for their support.


But before the event proper , Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator David Mark and Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state were among those expected  to be part of the 15th years anniversary and fund raising of  Rehabilitation Center  for the Disabled , Old and Tramps (RECDOT), Ozubulu , Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state. At the end the wife Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano was represented.

The Rehabilitation center has one hundred and sixty persons (160) against 9 when it was established. The home  is targeted at bringing God’s love  to the needy by not only providing them with basic needs of life but to also gave them formal and vocational training as their abilities permit for them to understand that there is ability in disability.
Senator Mark was the Chief Guest while Obiano was the father of the day even as the event scheduled for Saturday October , 25th ,2014 at the RECDOT premises expected  His Eminence , Francis Cardinal Arinze  as special father of the day and Her Excellency Chief Mrs Ebele Obiano, as mother of the day.

Founder/ Managing Director RECDOT, Mrs Rosemary Odunukwe said the guests gave their words to honour the event even as she added that Archbishop of Onitsha Most Reverend Valerian Okeke and Archbishop of  Benin , Most Reverend Akubueze were expected.

Odunukwe said , "This desire to remove children from the streets so as to give them the love of a mother. We began the adoption of an abandoned child who was left in a refuse dump. Apparently touched by such inhumanity, we gathered a team of like-minded persons and together we commenced what many might consider the impossible by taking children and youths off the streets as well as accepting those whose cases were considered extremely bad or abnormal so as to carter for them through proper re-orientation and re-integrated into a society that originally had no place for persons with Such disability."

RECDOT home was established in December, 27th 1999 and commissioned by Most Rev. Dr Martin Igwemezie Uzochukwu, the Catholic Bishop of Minna Diocese and Dr Mrs Nnenne Mbadinuju, the wife of former governor of Anambra State in the presence of Very Rev. Fr. Theo N. Odukwe, the RECDOT's spiritual Director. Sir and Lady C.Y Obi was the chairman of the occasion while Sir and Lady Ignatius Nnubia (NOWAS) was the Chief  launcher.

The objectives and activities of RECDOT are targeted at sheltering the inmates, feeding them , training them in basic education and vocationally too as well as build their capacity and advocate for them as well as mobilize resources for the upkeep of the rehabilitation center as well as mobilize societal participation and ownership.
RECDOT carters for all children irrespective of their tribe, state of origin or religion. It provides technical education and teaching opportunities for the physically challenged to acquire skills and education that will make them self reliant.
There is school from pre-nursery to secondary school in an opposite compound with a multi million naira complete compound both for school and habitation with chapel under construction. The environment is not too hygienic but the care givers are trying their best.
 
Odunukwe confessed that most of the inmates were picked where they were been used for collecting alms. The two with water filled heads are always in sitting positions and cry loud if touched on the heads.
 
On the hydrocephalic  case Odunukwe said, ‘’there is too much water in their heads and according to the doctor at Oyo state , about N1.7 million is enough for the surgery excluding other expenses . The children have good functioning brains but needed surgery to drain the water to enable them leave normally. The heads are abnormal and because of that their trunks could not carry their heads’’, a manager in the home Mrs. Angela Mbadiugha explained.  
 
The center has males and females in almost equal proportion and the striking interesting thing is that all of them are students. One Mr Okwuchukwu Okafor has graduated in the University and now working at Federal Government College, Umunze , over 20 secondary school graduates, many out of primary and many others in the skill acquisition department where they learn how to make beads, flower vests , hats to mention a few.
An inmate , Miss Cynthia Adinma  then in SS 2 but has graduated now praised God for the abilities in disability He granted them and prayed the public to come to their aid with the completion of their new school/residential structure to enable them live/learn under better conditions. She said they are happy with their situation and thanked their Director for being always for them.    
 
She informed then , ‘’Again, we are facing a big challenge by the lack of electricity here and the electricity generating sets we have are not functional , so we equally need assistance in that direction’’, Miss Adinma informed.

But all was not roses as recently there was speculation of measles and meningitis outbreak at the home. Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health Anambra state, Dr Joseph Chukwudi Okoye raised a team of experts in response to the outbreak. Three inmates died.
Okoye had mobilized the state Epidemiologist, Dr CE Okafor aand members of the state Disease , surveillance and notification unit on a rescue mission to Ozobulu to save the lives of other inmates at the Rehabilitation centre.
But the Chairman of Board of Trustees of  the Rehabilitation Center and former commissioner for health Aanambra state, Prof Amobi Ilika although admitted that congestion brought about the death of the three inmates , denied that it was caused by the center which was allegedly viewed as rather than use resources donated by well meaning individuals to develop the center embarked on white elephant project in the name of modern schools for the home that has gulped over N50 Million.
 Founder and Director of the center Mrs. Odunukwe had said that the three children who were between the ages of nine and ten were killed by measles and spiral meningitis caused by lack of hostel accommodation in the center which resulted in the inmates been packed in one small hostel.
                She further stated that it was in view of this that the center embarked on the construction of a very big hostel and classroom which has so far gulped about N50 Million.
 Mrs. Odunukwe therefore appealed to philanthropists, captains of industries and organizations to come to their aid in completing the hostel project. She maintained that the completion of the project will go a long way in providing more hostel accommodation for the inmates.
                She appreciated the donors to the center, and urged others to emulate them in touching the life of the disabled children since RECDOT was established to carter for the disabled children in the society and training of the inmates through technical education.       
His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze had at the anniversary said,’’ my prayers is that the merciful Lord will attract many generous donors to this work of love, that co-workers may come in big numbers to work with you and that god may give you and your co-workers the joy to see these handicapped young people graduate to stand on their own in life and live a dignified and independent existence’’.
 Head or trail the question remains who comes to restore hope to the hopeless situation of the inmates of the RECDOT home Ozubulu in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state to reduce the pains of the imbeciles and other inmates?.
  Written by Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, a Journalist , Blogger and Social Commentator based in Anambra state. 08060750240 @ www.odogwublog.com