EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF ABILITY, DESERVES ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND SHINE - Atta Safiya Mansoor

Atta Safia Mansoor

Atta Safiya Mansoor is the founder, Glowing Star Empowerment Initiative and Development (GSEID), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) focused on advocacy, with respect to empowering children and individuals with special needs, and by extension the people caring for them: parents, guardians and other family and non-family members.

The title of this piece:

"Every child, regardless of ability, deserves access to education and opportunities to grow and shine" came from a portion of the Humanitarian oriented, Passion driven and Soul piercing address presented by Atta Safiya Mansoor, in a heavily attended, lifesaving and life-changing  Programme, organized to commemorate the Cerebral Palsy Day in Jos, Plateau State capital, North Central Nigeria.

Parents and guardians, other passionate advocates and caregivers, supporters and professionals; indeed, people that share one and the same goal were prominent at the event that held October 6, 2025, a day set aside every year to raise awareness, foster understanding and inclusion, and to advocate for the right of the millions of people in the globe that have Cerebral Palsy.

The world Cerebral Palsy Day is an initiative that encourages people all over the world to wear green, to promote and push for better access, right and opportunities for the Cerebral Palsy community.

Speaking on the theme of the 2025 World Cerebral Palsy Day, #UniqueAndUnited Atta Safia Mansoor says “It reminds us that though each person with Cerebral Palsy is unique in their journey, challenges and abilities, we are all united by one powerful truth – that every life has value, purpose and potential.

A resounding aspect of her address was her charge to the participants of the event. She compassionately, but categorically enjoined them “To make the world a better, fairer, and more inclusive place for children and other individuals living with Cerebral Palsy and other special needs”.

Fact is Safia’s charge was to the public. Thus, the reader of this piece is inclusive and is therefore, requested to play very active role towards realizing the goal of the charge she made at that life transforming and impact driven event.

The heavily attended information driven, eye popping, and mind-reset activity, was also empowering. The importance, indeed the expected impact to the society, of Atta Safiya Mansoor's intervention can be imagined, especially, in a nation, where massive public engagement is very low, awareness creation, sensitization and orientation, with regard to issues of Persons-With-Disabilities (PWDs) or Persons-With Special Needs (PWSNs) are treated with levity, a worrisome situation that regrettably is increasing the burden of PWDs and jeopardizing continuously their chances of being becoming more useful to themselves, their families and the society.

Attention is drawn here to the effect that this piece has nothing to do with whether a distinction exists between the concept of Persons-With-Disabilities (PWDs) and Persons-With-Special Needs (PWSNs). Both are treated as the same thing in this presentation. In any case the law that is operational in Nigeria talks Persons-With-Disabilities (PWDs).

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Nnabugwu Chizoba