Tony Udemba
It was a day of joy and excitement which would remain in the minds of the residents of The Destitute Home, Okobaba in Ebute Metta area of Lagos. That was a day a team of Peace Ambassadors from the International Human Rights Peace Commission, IHRPC, Helping Hands International in association with Lend the Light Foundation celebrated the Christmas season with the inmates of the home.
During the outreach, hundreds of residents of the home were entertained and fed with lots of food.
Speaking on the occasion, the African Representative and Nigeria coordinator of the group, Amb Emmanuel Obitex Ngoka, reiterated how good it is for Nigerians to always show love and assistance to the needy and the less privileged.
According to him, “we are here to identify with the sufferings and challenges been faced by the residents. We are here to encourage them and restore hope to them, and also bring joy and happiness to them.” He noted that in order to put smiles on their faces during the period, “we have come to celebrate Christmas with them. To ensure that no one is left out in this celebration today, we came to feed all the residents in the centre today, no matter the numbers.”
Similarly, a member of the group, Amb Fedrick Nwogbo, stated that it was necessary for Nigerians to always remember the plight of the poor in society.
According to him, “as we rejoice with our various families this seasons, we must ways remember that there are other families that are in a state of penury, and have nothing to celebrate with. Hence it is our responsibility to reach out to them and put smiles on their faces with the little we have in order for them to also be part of the celebration.”
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mallam Mohammed, Gambo Ahmed, one of leaders, commended the group for its act of kindness, adding that the inmates would always remember them in their prayers.
Some of the highlights of the programme included the feeding of 700 inmates of the home and the birthday celebration of Amb Ifeoma Ngoka which witnessed the cutting of the cake and a special rendition of “happy birthday” song by the inmates.
The birthday celebrant, Amb Ifeoma, expressed gratitude to God for the unique celebration, saying: “I feel honoured to celebrate my birthday in the midst of the less privileged. There is no better way of marking it than coming here and touching lives.”
The IHRPC, a global non-governmental organisation with headquarters in Florida, USA, promotes and propagates global peace, unity, tolerance, and non-violence across the world, including pursuits of human rights and humanitarian services and other pro-humanity programmes and initiatives across the world.
The organisation has chapters and presence in different parts of the world, including Nigeria.