PET PROJECT: Winner Of Miss Southern Nigeria To Create Awareness On Child Blindness

PET PROJECT: Winner Of Miss Southern Nigeria 2020 To Create Awareness On Child Blindness

I led the winner of Miss Southern Nigeria 2020/2021, Queen Catherine Bebia Banku and one of the runners up christened Face of South South Nigeria, Queen Alicia Itekwu on a visit to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Development Cross River State over their pet projects.

For Queen Bebia Banku, she would like to use the advantage of her office to create awareness for child blindness which is gradually ravaging our children.

Childhood blindness refers to a group of diseases and conditions occurring in childhood or early adolescence, which, if left untreated, result in blindness or severe visual impairment that are likely to be untreatable later in life.

Vision has an essential role in a child's development, and visual deficit is a risk factor not only for altered visio-sensory development, but also for overall socioeconomic status throughout life. Early detection provides the best opportunity for effective treatment of eye and vision problems in children. Therefore, timely screening is vital to avoid lifelong visual impairment. The number of Child’s blindness in Nigeria could be as a result of poverty or superstitious beliefs by some parents. 

Being Blessed with this amazing opportunity as Miss Southern Nigeria 2020/2022, Queen Bebia Banku would love to use her good office as a tool to reach out to the kids in collaboration with Coneri Magazine the organizers of Miss Southern Nigeria,  the Government, relevant NGOs, Philanthropists, humanitarians and other bodies agency willing to help, to reach out to the rural areas in the various geopolitical zones, starting with south south firstly.

There are more than 350 hereditary eye diseases, such as albinism, aniridia, colorblindness, corneal dystrophies, glaucoma, keratoconus, Leber congenital amaurosis, night blindness, retinitis pigmentosa and retinoblastoma, to name just a few. 

Most disturbing is the fact that people still make use of harmful traditional eye remedies in the rural areas. Our team is set to sensitize the rural areas on Child Blindness. amenable to prevention and treatment,  not only because there are interventions available to handle these conditions, but also devastating consequences if not addressed.

More so, sensitization of not inserting the fingers into eyes to avoid infections and eating veggies and leafy vegetables will form the front desk.

An Apple a day keeps one away from the doctor They say.

Sensitization of eating more carrots daily.

Carrots contain lots of beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A, which is important for overall eye health. 

Apples are rich in bioflavonoids, which are also known for boosting vision health 

With a team of medical experts (ophthalmologists),free eye check-up, examinations and referrals would be carried out during The outreach. Child care is the teams Priority. And I would love to enjoin all on this journey of  Advocacy for child blindness as well plead with all mankind with  generous hearts to support the movement, materially or through cash donation. 

As for Queen Alicia Atekwu, incumbent Face of South South Nigeria, she would like to support less privileged mothers and girls with pampers and sanitary pads. 

You'll agree with me that, there are several mothers and girls who are unable to cater for these items on their own due to their present economic state. 

So the queen will advocate for freewill donations for the provision of these materials for these category of people.

To donate  sanitary pads,  pampers or support the Child blindness advocacy, kindly call: 08133031063, 0813 050 2887

Eriacy Confidence Oba, CEO, Coneri Magazine.