INMATES and management of the Christian Mission for the Deaf, Ibadan could not hide their joy when on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Regional Manager (West) of the Universal Parcel Service (UPS), a courier service company  donated through a cheque, the sum of $27,224, (about N4.2 Million) to the institution to build a new dormitory for the inmates.

The Christian Mission for the Deaf Centre has been in existence since 1972 to train deaf Africans and was established by late Dr Andrew Jackson Foster who was a black deaf African-American Missionary and educator, but after his demise, Mr Emmanuel Ilabor took over the running of the place.

The centre aims to empower and train deaf boys and girls in vocations and academics, in order to reduce bondage, street begging, illiteracy, poverty, hunger and all manners of joblessness for deaf people in our society irrespective of their ethnic or religious background.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Executive Director of the centre, Mr Ilabor said the centre already had a permanent site along the Lagos-Ibadan express road and would like to build new dormitory for the inmates, against that backdrop, it was able to intimate the UPS about it sometime ago and they immediately swung into action and to its surprise, the headquarters of UPS in Atlanta Georgia approved and eventually sent the cheque through its Regional Manager (West), Mr Fidel Obiefuna.

The centre striving hard to, make life comfortable for its inmates so that they can live and learn whatever vocation they intend to under a conducive environment that is why it is soliciting support from well meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations across the country so that it can achieve its aims.

Inmates of the home in their bid to express their gratitude to UPS prayed for the success of the organisation across the globe and promised to utilise the fund judiciously.

The UPS is a courier organisation with branches across the globe and 38 centres in Nigeria, and it has made it a point of duty to help the communities where it is based as part of its corporate responsibility to its host community.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the Sales Director of UPS, Mr. Gbenro Oseni explained that “when I was first posted to Ibadan and I had the opportunity of visiting this home, the first thing that came to my mind was how to contribute my own quota through the organisation I work with and fortunately when I spoke to My Regional Manager, Mr. Fidel Obiefuna he sprang into action and we sent a proposal to the headquarters of in Atlanta Georgia and after sometime it was approved and now it is coming to reality”.

According to Mr. Obiefuna, UPS was established in 1951 in Atlanta Georgia and one of its major subsidiary is the UPS foundation which is concerned with impacting on social issues. In support of this strategic approach, the UPS Foundation identifies the following focus areas of giving non-profit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability..

In 2010, the UPS Foundation distributed nearly $44.6 million about N7.13 billion worldwide through grants that benefits organisations or programmes and provide support for  building stronger communities, it is therefore committed to funding impactful programmes that make a meaningful difference in our society.

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