I learnt the art of giving
from my mother
– Ibe Odiaka
By Josfyn Uba ubajosfyn@yahoo.com
Saturday, September 2, 2006
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•Co-ordinator,
Charity Care Network Initiative distributing household
items to the less priviledged
Photo By Sun News Publishing |
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In her town of Ubulu- Uku, Delta state as well as other places
where she had lived with her husband, who was a police officer,
late Mrs. Odiaka’s goodwill and kind-heartedness loomed
large.
She touched people’s lives especially, the poor and
the needy ones. Her uncommon spirit of giving freely endeared
her to many people and even in her death, both beneficiaries
of her large-heartedness as well as those were only witnesses
to her kind deeds still give testimonials to her life.
Although, Mrs. Odiaka had passed on some years ago, not only
did the mother of nine live a legacy, but she had unknowingly
passed on that rare banner of charity to one of her children,
Ibe Odiaka.
Mr. Ibe Odiaka’s life is a replica of his late mother.
His life revolves around the art of helping anyone in need
irrespective of class, creed or colour. His indulgence in
free-spirited charity is awesome.
His close pals and associates say that” he gives out
to the needy as if the art of giving is going out of fashion”
The middle-aged father of four children, whose usual habit
it is, to facilitate some fund and some sundry household items
on a monthly basis for the upkeep of the inmates of the Yaba-
based Family Support Centre, Destitute Home
Mr. Odiaka who is also the Chairman, Charity Care Network
Initiative in this interview with Saturday Sun recently, shares
his life of compassion towards the needy and captures his
mother’s big –heartedness.
“My mother (of blessed memory) lived a life of uncommon
generosity. She couldn’t bear to see anyone going hungry.
She was a woman who would offer to render help to anyone in
need. If she saw someone who had no food, she would immediately
call out to the person and offered her something no matter
how small”.
“The peak of her kindness was that she would possibly
go borrowing, (if she could not afford it) money to pay for
the school fees of a child, whose parents could not afford
to pay for him. And whereby, she could afford to pay, she
was so glad to just do it. Such was my mother’s lifestyle
and I learnt that her”
My Early life
Without sounding immodest, I ‘d like to say that giving
out to those people who do not have as much as we have was
a tradition of some sort when I was growing up and of course,
I can not divorce myself of it at this age.
My mother taught me to always give. When I was a little boy,
she would tell me that selfishness is evil and that I should
strive to share whatever I have with others.
As I grew up, giving naturally became some kind of fun and
a way of living and of course, I saw the enormous value, my
mother kindness added to her life and I liked it too.
What does life mean if we do not live for each other? The
Delta state-born accountant queried rather rhetorically.
It is a natural phenomenon that, at one point or the other
in our lives, we need some bit of assistance. I feel greatly
honoured, humbled but above all, I feel privileged to do someone
a favour or to be able to offer someone some assistance.
I feel that for us to make this world a better place for us
to live in, we, on our individual basis should lend each other
a helping hand. After all, what are we living for, if we can
not take care of ourselves
I can not bear to see my fellow humans suffer when I can readily
assist them. No matter how small that assistance might be,
I will give as long as it will help to alleviate their problems.
More over, I do not restrict my assistance to just the less-privileged
ones.
Philosophy of life
My philosophy of life is quite simple. As long as I still
have breath in me, I shall not stop giving. I mean, one should
consider himself automatically dead, the moment you stop giving.
If we can all do our little bit to enhance the living conditions
of our fellow human beings, this world will be an exciting
place of abode. Don’t you see what Bill Gates is doing
with charity, Bill Clinton and other well- meaning individuals
all over the globe?
After all, the great Mohammed Ali once said in an interview
with Ebony magazine that “the only rent we pay for living
on earth is only by doing good or how much equivalent of dollar
do you pay to God for occupying a space on this earth or is
it not said in the bible that “the earth and everything
therein, is God’s”
Charity Care Network Initiative
It is an N G O, a network of charity-minded individuals from
different walks of life. We are a group of young men and women
from totally diverse backgrounds but have come together for
a common goal and vision; helping destitute in our society.
Our members are scattered around the country, each doing his
individual bit to help alleviate the sufferings of these under-privileged
lot in our society.
As the Chairman, I am privileged and highly honoured to contribute
my own quota towards the upkeep of these forgotten people.
We have the project coordinator, a young man with a rare driving
vitality as well as an uncommon compassion for the less privileged,
we go asking and literally begging people to donate whatever
materials they can afford to give out, whether new or old,
food items, toiletteries and household items, all these we
gather and send to them.
Our duty does not only gather and send, we make sure that,
the items are distributed judiciously. In fact, we distribute
and share ourselves. This, we do every month
Right now, we are developing an idea that will evolve into
a major project that we shall execute for the benefit of these
people so that they do not depend on paltry hand-outs from
the few good Samaritans who pay them visits.
It is a project that we hope will impact a sense of self reliance
and independence into their lives. I think it is necessary
to give them a sense of empowerment because it will be criminal
on the part of the larger society if these people are left
to beg forever.
I make bold to say that the danger inherent in not helping
and taking care of these people is that, one day, “they
will take care of us”
It is our duty to take care of them because they are part
and parcel of our society.
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