An awardee of the recent combined President’s NYSC Honours Award Ceremony (2020-2023) held in Abuja, Jurdimma Douglas Damina, has expressed his joy for the recognition, saying he is grateful that his kind gesture is being appreciated.
Douglas who is from Plateau State and served in Katsina State revelaed that what gave him the award was due to his compassion for persons living with disability while he was serving in Daura, Katsina, from 2021 to 2022, upon which he donated 40 wheelchairs to some affected persons there.
The wheelchair donation was done on the 27th June 2022 in Daura, and it attracted many people, including traditional rulers who commended him for his unprecedented effort as a corp member.
“I saw a physically challenged man with a wooden wheelchair, and they where struggling with his little boy who was applying tiring effort to push the old man.
“I was deeply touched, and I decided that I will get him a wheelchair. But while planning that, I felt moved to increase the number of the wheelchairs to 40 in order to add others with same challenge.
“That was how the wheelchair project came about, including sensitization on ‘Ability in Disability’ initiative in different secondary schools.
“I never knew that the project will get state recognition (Katsina State), but today it didn’t only get state recognition but federal honour. So, it is good to be good,” he said.
Douglas called on serving Corp members to try and offer any little kindness they can during their service year, even if they are not targeting any recognition, as the gesture can assist people in need no matter how little and posterity will be kind to them.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has offered immediate employment into the Federal Civil Service, a cash donation N250,000 and scholarship up to PhD level to the 200 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were honored during the ceremony.
The President who was represented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the award was in recognition of their outstanding performance during their service years between 2020 and 2023.