By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An 8-year-old sickle cell anaemia patient, Ahmed Ahmed, now has the hopes of having smiles on his face again after Airtel Nigeria came to his aid through cash donations, an educational scholarship and others.
His story will be on the second episode of the award-winning television show, Airtel Touching Lives, to air on Saturday, June 18, 2022.
Ahmed has sickle cell disease, a degenerative condition he receives medication for daily. Due to financial constraints on the family, he is presently unable to manage his fragile health status as his parents cannot afford the medication.
To make a bad situation even worse for young Ahmed, a domestic fire accident left him badly burnt, leaving the family to grapple with the challenges of managing his sickle cell and treating burns.
To support Ahmed’s family, Airtel donated the sum of N500,000 to clear up existing and current medical bills and also donated N1.5 million in educational scholarship for Ahmed and his siblings.
The company went further by paying for the rent for a two-bedroom apartment for 2 years and then provided home appliances for the family.
In the first episode of the programme aired last Saturday, the story of a Kidpreneur by the name Zita was the focus. Zita is a true example that anyone can make a difference no matter how old you are. Zita’s vision is to make sure no child on the street is hungry. From her sales of Shea Butter, Zita has been able to reach out to other kids by way of charity.
Airtel said every episode features a revisit story from the past season, and the upcoming episode will revisit the story of Cole Evans, a fitness trainer who benefitted from season 5.
The 28-year-old fitness trainer, who had lost all hope following a tragic accident that killed five people on the scene, was supported by Airtel with N8 million for corrective surgery in the United Kingdom.
As viewers would wonder how Airtel has had a sustainable impact on past beneficiaries, episode two will also show the current state of Cole Evans, and how his life was truly changed through Airtel’s intervention.
Viewers can follow up on the touching lives episodes via the Airtel TV App available for download on IOS and Android play stores.
Also, they can watch Airtel Touching Lives by tuning in to Magic Family Channel 154 and GOTV Channel 2 from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The same episode will air from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm on AIT Channel 253 on DSTV. On Sunday, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a rerun will be broadcast on Africa Magic Family channel 154.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale