VOICE OF AMERICA: PLATEAU STATE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
For about 6 years we have been helping the 400+ students at this deaf school, with the worse poverty and government neglect we have ever seen. We supplied them with a large generator for their first electricity in years, 150 steel bunk beds (made in our shop), 300 mattresses, a computer center, thousands of dollars of food, new roofs for buildings and many other things. Seven media outlets were present at the dedication of the computer center with 20 computers, on March 30, 2017. Among the media was the Voice of America/Hausa Division, which broadcast this story:
WASHINGTON DC. (translated from Hausa) Disabled persons in Nigeria have expressed their deepest anger and frustration about the neglect of their training institutions. This view was expressed by Ayuba Burki Gufwan, director of Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Center, speaking at the commissioning of a computer lab, block of classrooms and 30 goats donated to the school.
According to him “this school is one of the worst forms of government neglect you will find anywhere in this country. Prior to our involvement, virtually all the students were sleeping on the bare floor. There were no beds or mattresses. Students were constantly on a starvation diet.”
Ab- dulahi Roky, another disabled person, stated, “the government has to increase budgetary allocations to these citi- zens and also strive to create the enabling environment for them to realize their full potential.”
We continue to supply them with large amounts of food. Without food, the students are sent home.