Ellen Olusola Caulcrick Foundation Hosts Unified Sports for Children with Special Needs in Lagos

The Ellen Olusola Caulcrick Foundation on Friday brought together children with special needs and their regular counterparts for its first 2024 Unified Sports event.

Children living with disabilities were treated to a series of outdoor sports and games with their counterparts without disabilities at the sports ground of Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

The event featured a variety of track and field events, such as relay races, walk races, egg races, volleyball, basketball, football, tug of war, and a dance competition.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the foundation, Dr. Eugenia Oluwabusola George, revealed that the foundation came to life during the funeral service of her late mother, Mrs. Ellen Olusola Caulcrick, who had boundless compassion for kids and people with disabilities.

In an interview with EKO HOT BLOG, Dr. Oluwabusola stated that the foundation was founded in 2013 to immortalize her mother’s legacy.

“(Ellen Olusola Caulcrick) had a passion for the service of children with special needs.

“She worked very hard to ensure that children with special needs are included in every aspect of life,” Dr. Oluwabusola added.

Recounting the heroic deed of Ellen Olusola Caulcrick, Dr. Oluwabusola revealed that the late Mrs. Ellen Olusola Caulcrick wrote a letter to the then Commissioner of Education, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, to address the segregation of children with special needs.

“(Children with disabilities) were not allowed to participate in the children’s day parade, but with her intervention … then children with special needs were able to participate in the children’s day parade.”

“Also, when she retired, she founded a school—Olusoye Compensatory Center in Ilupeju—pouring all her retirement funds into the school,” Dr. Oluwabusola revealed.

She further stated that she and her board of directors are now championing the cause of the late Mrs. Ellen Olusola Caulcrick to create a better world for children with special needs, which is what birthed the idea behind the Unified Sports event.

Expressing her excitement about how the event turned out at the end of the day, she said:

“This is about changing public attitude; it is about children all over, and this is not just a competition.

“These children are really having fun, and we are excited that we are able to bring children together, not just children with special needs but with their counterparts without disabilities.”

“It’s about inclusivity, and we are not marginalizing anyone.”

Dr. Oluwabusola called for partnership and sponsorship from the government, non-governmental organizations, and private organizations to extend the foundation’s impact toward training teachers and parents on how to better care for children with special needs and to extend their reach to all levels of education.