English-Nigerian player and Arsenal striker Bukayo Saka started medical philanthropy in Nigeria in October.
The England international provided necessary surgical procedures to 120 children in Kano.
Saka, who has impressed with the league’s top players, extended his excellent performance on the pitch to some children with medical problems in his home country.
According to MSN.com, Saka, 21, partnered with an NGO known as BigShoe to provide quantitative healthcare services to underprivileged children.
It was also added that most of the children “suffer from diseases such as inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia or brain tumors”.
Meanwhile, an operation by a team of five doctors in mid-October was successful in getting the child back on his feet.
The commendable achievement is to add to the more than 1,000 children that the NGO, founded in 2006, has undertaken worldwide.
Saka, unable to travel down to Nigeria due to World Cup preparations in Qatar with Gareth Southgate, the England international said he was excited to help out and connect positively with his roots.
Saka is the youngest of two children of Yoruba parents Yomi and Adenike Saka and was born in Ealing, England on September 21, 2001.
While almost speaking in a video shared by Goal.com Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts, Saka said that he is “connected” to his roots.
“I feel happy to be in a position where I can help make the lives of children easier and better through these operations.
“I still feel very connected to Nigeria. For me, it’s very important to use my skills to make a positive impact where I can and I have to say a big thank you to the whole BigShoe team for making this possible.”
Following in the footsteps of Saka Alaba
A few months ago, another of Nigerian descent, David Alaba, also traced back to his roots by supplying mobile toilets in Ogere Remo community.
The daughter, with a Nigerian father and a Filipino mother, was born in Vienna (Austria) about 30 years ago.
Due to his birth, the 30-year-old Real Madrid defender had the option of playing in Nigeria or Austria, which he chose.
But despite being away from home for years, Alaba did not forget her father’s hometown, Ogere, where she also belongs to the royal family. The mobile toilet project is said to cost about N13.3 billion.
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