From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
In the spirit of the season , the Imo state Chapter of the National Association of Women Journalists in collaboration with Wefare Foundation on Saturday put smiles on the faces of indigent widows in Umuegbe Umuduru community in Isiala Mbano area council in Imo state.
Fifty of the widows were gifted bags of 25Kg bags of rice each, condiments , vegetable oils at the official launch of the foundation.
Speaking at the event Mr Harrison Duru, Chairman of the Welfare foundation said that the foundation was the initiative of the Umuegbe Umuduru community leadership led by Mr Ikenna Silas ,and that members of the community, the took it upon themselves to raise money for the less privilege members of the community especially the old indigent widows who have nobody to assist them.
“The foundation was the idea of the President General of Umuegbe Umuduru community, Ikenna Silas and then some of our people both within and in the diaspora took it upon them to start assisting the indigent widows in our community. So , we decided to formally have the foundation registered with the CAC and today which official launch of the foundation. Before today foundation has given out over 20 bags of rice and other provisions to widows atleast to put smiles on their faces in this very difficult times. And , today we gave out 30 more bags of rice, vegetable oils, condiments to the widows and as you can see they are all smiles. In addition we are also going to provide scholarships for brilliant youths from this community to enable them in their academic pursuits, as well as skills acquisition and vocational training as a way of empowerment”.
He added, “We are happy to partner with the National Assocation of Women journalists for their support to ensure that the aims of this foundation which is to help the smiles on the very poor widows in this community.”
Also, Mr Ikenna Silas , the President General of the community, Said, ” Today is usually celebrated as Umuegbe Umuduru day , so this Welfare foundation is out of the desire to help the indigents people within us. Also we are going to train our youths in vocational education, skills acquisition and also offer scholarships to our poor but brilliant kids amongst us . We have been doing this on a small scale but now we decided to float this foundation which is registered. Am happy that our brothers and sisters both at home and in the diaspora responded to our clarion call and that is what you are witnessing today to the glory to God which is touching lifes.”
State Chairman of National Association of Women Journalists, Dr Dorothy Nnanji , commended the community for the initiative and urged other communities in the state to emulate this laudable gesture of helping their needy especially the poor widows who have no one to assist them .
” We will continue to partner with this foundation because we as women Journalists have been in the forefront of helping poor widows who are neglected or mistreated and the girl child who are also mistreated and I commend people of this community for this foundation and I also urge other communities in the state to emulate this laudable initiative who thought it wise to assist the poor especially those widows in the very difficult times.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ijeoma Amucha said, ” we are very happy for the gifts we received today from foundation. As you can see all of us are very happy because we did not expect it . We pray that as the remember us poor widows today may God remember them and their families and grant them long life and prosperity. Their children will never lack .”