By BLESSING AGWE ODUGO

Warri Councils Pledge Sustained Support for Special Needs Children as You Matter Outreach Reaches 1,200

THE three local government councils that make up Warri Federal Constituency have pledged continued support for children living with autism and other special needs.

The commitment came as the You Matter Charity Foundation extended its free medical outreach to families in the constituency, bringing healthcare, medication, mobility aids, educational materials and other forms of assistance closer to vulnerable beneficiaries.

At Ogbe-Ijoh, Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Area, Hon. Sylvester Oromoni, spoke on behalf of the three councils.

He said Warri South-West, Warri South and Warri North would continue to support programmes that promote the welfare and inclusion of children with special needs.

According to Oromoni, many families caring for such children face difficult financial and social realities. Healthcare costs, medication, therapy and assistive devices can place enormous pressure on household incomes.

For some families, the challenge extends beyond money. Limited access to specialised services and persistent social stigma can make everyday life even harder.

Oromoni therefore described the intervention by the You Matter Charity Foundation as timely. He commended its founder, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, wife of the Delta State Governor, for taking the initiative to families in Warri Federal Constituency.

He argued that the strength of a caring society lies in how it treats people who need additional support.

Reaching Families Beyond the State Capital

For the You Matter Charity Foundation, the Warri outreach formed part of a wider effort to take assistance directly to vulnerable children across Delta State.

Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori said Warri Federal Constituency was the ninth federal constituency reached during the current phase of the programme.

She explained that the initiative seeks to remind children living with autism and other special needs that they belong in society and deserve opportunities to live with dignity.

Her experiences during the outreach programme, she said, had exposed the Foundation to the difficult circumstances many families face.

Some struggle to obtain regular medication. Others cannot easily afford therapy or assistive devices. Many also face the additional burden of meeting their children’s educational and everyday needs.

Those encounters, she said, have strengthened the Foundation’s determination to expand its interventions.

1,200 Children Reached

The Foundation has so far reached about 1,200 children through the current programme.

Beneficiaries have received medication and other forms of essential support. In Warri, the intervention went beyond medical consultations.

Organisers distributed 30 wheelchairs and 30 educational Android tablets. Therapy toys and a smart board also formed part of the support package.

In addition, the Foundation distributed 120 bags of rice to beneficiaries and their families.

The range of items reflected the different dimensions of the challenges confronting families of children with special needs.

A wheelchair can provide mobility and independence. An educational tablet can create another avenue for learning. Therapy materials can support development, while food assistance can ease immediate household pressure.

Deaconess Oborevwori stressed that the programme was therefore not simply about handing out medicines.

She described it as an effort to listen to families, create awareness, provide medical support and offer reassurance to people who may sometimes feel isolated in their struggles.

She also urged communities to reject the practice of hiding, neglecting or stigmatising children with special needs.

A Call for Collective Responsibility

The intervention attracted support from political and community leaders.

Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, praised the Foundation for sustaining the humanitarian programme.

He described the outreach as a practical expression of compassion. He also noted that interventions of this nature could help families address healthcare, mobility and educational challenges.

Guwor pledged the support of the State House of Assembly for initiatives that promote inclusion and improve the welfare of vulnerable people.

Similarly, Delta State APC Chairman, Chief Solomon Arenyeka, called for collective responsibility.

He said government alone could not address all the challenges facing children with special needs. Families, communities, organisations and other stakeholders, he argued, must also play their part.

That approach places inclusion within a broader social responsibility framework.

Local Councils Commit to Partnership

The three Warri councils also promised to maintain their partnership with the Foundation.

Oromoni gave the assurance on behalf of Warri South Chairman, Comrade Isaac Weyinmi Agbateyiniro, and Warri North Chairman, Hon. Festus Ashima.

The commitment could provide an important local dimension to the Foundation’s interventions.

Local councils remain close to the communities they serve. Their involvement can therefore help identify vulnerable families, connect beneficiaries with support services and sustain interventions beyond one-off medical outreaches.

Deaconess Oborevwori thanked the three council chairmen and other stakeholders for supporting the programme.

She also acknowledged the Delta State Commissioner for Health, members of the medical team, political leaders and other contributors.

Welfare Extends to Council Workers

The event also featured the commissioning and launch of a newly constructed staff cafeteria at the local government secretariat.

The state-of-the-art facility is expected to improve the welfare and working environment of council employees.

Its commissioning added another dimension to an event largely focused on social welfare.

Ultimately, the Warri outreach highlighted a broader question about inclusion: how communities can ensure that children living with special needs receive not only medical attention but also education, mobility, dignity and acceptance.

The 1,200 children reached so far represent a significant milestone for the You Matter Charity Foundation.

Yet the Foundation’s message remains that the need extends far beyond the beneficiaries already reached.

For families caring for children with special needs, sustained partnerships among government, charitable organisations and communities could determine whether support remains occasional or becomes part of a more dependable system of care.