Ondo residents seek urgent medical, educational aid as Tunji-Ojo initiative provides succour

Residents of Ondo State have appealed for urgent medical and educational assistance as the BTO CARES humanitarian programme recorded an overwhelming number of applications within its first week of operation.

The initiative, launched on 1 October by Ondo Community Connect and sponsored by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, attracted applications from residents seeking financial assistance for kidney dialysis, major surgeries, school fees and other pressing welfare needs.

The programme’s coordinator, Iretidola Akinrowo Ojekhoa, said the high volume of applications forced the organisers to close registration on Friday, 9 October, just seven days after it commenced.

“Our BTOCARES registration was oversubscribed within one week. The registration came to an end on Friday when the turnout was unexpectedly huge,” she said.

The subsequent needs assessment identified several vulnerable residents requiring urgent medical interventions, including patients unable to afford specialised treatment and families struggling to keep their children in school.

One of the cases involves a resident who requires regular kidney dialysis to stay alive. Despite contributions from members of his community towards his treatment, the funds raised have fallen short of the amount required.

A community leader, Prince Alabi Adebowale Caleb, said the resident needed about N800,000 for treatment and appealed for additional support to facilitate his medical care.

“We have been able to contribute our own quota to help the young man, but our little isn’t enough as he needs up to N800,000. We’ll be glad if you can help us facilitate his medical treatment,” Caleb said.

He stressed that the community regarded the resident’s well-being as a collective responsibility.

“I said ‘us’, not ‘him’, because he’s one of us and his well-being is our collective well-being as a community,” he added.

Other medical cases identified during the assessment involve residents requiring expensive surgeries and specialised care, with some treatment costs running into millions of naira.

Among the applicants is 60-year-old Kolawole Familusi, popularly known as Kola Akewi, whose leg tumour has impaired his movement and reduced his ability to work and provide for his family.

His medical condition has also affected his ability to pay his children’s school fees. The BTO CARES team said it had received his application and was exploring appropriate channels to secure medical and welfare assistance.

Another applicant, 50-year-old Ige Ologe, requires urgent surgery for a severe anal condition that his family says has deteriorated, prompting relatives to seek financial assistance for his treatment.

The assessment also identified a 57-year-old resident of Ijare in Ifedore Local Government Area who is living with the effects of a partial stroke that affects his left arm, left leg and speech.

During a visit to his home on 14 October, the BTO CARES team provided food items and a cash token to address his immediate needs. It also repaired his damaged mobile phone and promised to follow up on his medical evaluation.

The team said it would explore the possibility of connecting him with a partner health facility for further assessment and treatment.

Other cases include a 19-year-old with a large facial growth requiring medical evaluation and possible surgery, as well as a young girl with a growing tumour on her leg.

The girl’s family expressed concern that a delay in securing treatment could worsen her condition and affect her future.

Beyond healthcare, education has emerged as another major area of need, with several applicants seeking assistance to pay outstanding school fees and prevent their children from dropping out.

One of them is Ojo Taiwo, a physically challenged father who works as a shoe cobbler in Akoko North-West Local Government Area.

Taiwo is seeking N350,000 to settle his son’s outstanding fees at Western University, Iwo, saying financial difficulties had already prevented the final-year student from sitting an examination.

“My son called me yesterday that he missed his exam because of school fees at Western University, Iwo. I told him I don’t have the financial capacity and he’s in his final year,” he said.

He explained that he had approached the chairman of his association for assistance, but members were only able to raise N50,000 towards the outstanding fees.

The cases highlight the financial difficulties confronting vulnerable households that struggle to meet the cost of healthcare and education without external support.

BTO CARES was established to provide direct assistance to vulnerable residents facing such challenges. At its launch in Akure, Ojekhoa said the programme would support emergency medical treatment, education, skills acquisition, artisanship, business development and the protection of vulnerable people and youths.

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Under its education component, the programme provides for assistance with school fees, examination charges, books and uniforms, while its emergency support covers medical bills, referrals, food assistance and temporary shelter for disaster victims.

To ensure transparency and that assistance reaches intended beneficiaries, the programme operates a no-cash-at-centre policy, under which approved hospital bills and school fees are paid directly to the relevant institutions rather than to applicants.

The organisers also profile and verify applicants before approving assistance. According to the programme’s guidelines, emergency cases should receive attention within 48 hours, while standard applications should be processed within seven working days.

Ojekhoa said the initiative was designed to address personal hardships that infrastructure projects alone could not resolve, particularly medical emergencies and financial barriers to education.

The overwhelming response within the first week has highlighted the demand for direct humanitarian support among residents of Ondo State, with the programme’s team continuing to follow up on identified cases to establish applicants’ needs and explore appropriate interventions.