Foundation targets 10,000 beneficiaries for free eye treatment

The founder of MAI Foundation, Alhaji Muhammed Ibrahim Ajia, has disclosed that the foundation is targeting 10,000 other beneficiaries for the third phase of its free eye treatment and eye-glass distribution.

Ajia, who spoke with our correspondent in Ilorin yesterday at the end of the second phase of the programme, expressed satisfaction over the conclusion of the exercise, which he said was fruitful.

He disclosed that the foundation was able to cover all the three senatorial districts of the state during the second phase with an impressive turn-out of people with different eye challenges.

“We covered all the three senatorial districts of the state with a record of over 5000 beneficiaries. We provided free eye screening, treatment and eye glasses immediately for those with critical conditions.

“We were at Offa, Afon, Mooro, Bode Saadu, Share, Baba Nloma, Lafiagi and Shonga for the medical outreach. The good part of the exercise was the turn-out of the people. We discovered that some other people from nearby villages came to where we had been for the exercise,” Ajia said.

He added that the exercise had afforded the less privileged the opportunity to get free eye treatment, saying the foundation would go back to the drawing board for proper planning of the third phase in order to cover all the remaining areas in the state.

The philanthropist disclosed that he had been financing the programme 100 per cent but would not mention the amount that had been spent sofar.

“It is a service I promised to render to the people of my state. Even if I have political ambition, it is a separate issue from the medical outreach,” he said.