By Job Osazuwa
About 200 widows and other less-privileged persons converged on Dimino Centre in Oshodi area of Lagos State, for hewalth screening and to receive assorted gifts, courtesy of Adorable Foundation International (AFI).
As learnt, it has become a tradition for the non-governmental organisation (NGO), to every December, gather the less-fortunate persons, particularly widows to rejoice with them and bless them with items in the spirit of yuletide.
This year’s get-together took another dimension as there were free health screenings, praise and worship, and exhortations by different guest speakers. Apart from the clothes, tooth paste, detergent, consumables, there were also enough food and drinks for everyone that attended the occasion.
The founder of the AFI, Princess Ada Okeke Amam, told Daily Sun that nothing else gives her more joy than impacting lives of the needy in the society. She said that she was always ready to serve humanity whether it is convenient for her or not. She stated that she is fulfilled anytime she makes the downtrodden happy.
“We will continue to do what God wants us to do for humanity and that is why we are here again, today, to celebrate with the widows and other less-privileged members of the society. We are doing this in our own little way, and you need to see how happy the women are. The Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo are all here today. We don’t discriminate because hunger knows no tribe or religion. According to our capacity, we are here to serve all Nigerians who are in dire need.
“God has spared us and provided for us in different ways. People so much believe in what we do. So far, we have 26 affiliate members. Airtel Nigeria is here today to also encourage the widows through recharge cards and other gifts. I thank everyone that has contributed to the success of this programme.
“Putting smiles on their faces is very important. A lot of things are happening in Nigeria and families are going through difficult times. Little encouragement matters a lot.
“Every time we organise such an outreach, we would discover that almost everybody in Nigeria is less-privileged. This year, we targeted 250 people, but the number that I have seen so far is above 300, and more people are still coming,” she said.
Amam said the foundation was giving start-up packs to some of the women that were recently trained on skill acquisition. She stated that she believed in equipping people to become self-reliant against giving them money that they could easily spend on not too important things.
“Most times, I use my personal money to run the foundation. In fact, my children and other family members have given up on me. They know that anything that I am given, I will keep it for these less-fortunate people. What else are we really looking for in life if not to help others, particularly when we are in positions to do so? God has been helping us to meet the women’s needs.
“However, I talk to people to support us so that we can reach as many people as possible. But if they don’t give, we still have to do the charitable work. By next February, we will identify more women and assist them based on the areas of their strength or what they specialised in,” she stated.
She said that the NGO was not just all about helping the widows but also discovering and empowering the youths to become ambassadors of peace and campaigners against drug abuse. She commended the youths for the awareness so far, even as she urged more youths to join the moving train.
She said: “I believe in proper training and discipline. Everybody can become great in life but it takes some sacrifices. Everyone needs to contribute his or her quota in order to make the country a better place for us to live in. Families have a lot to do when it comes to inculcating the right values in our children. These children are the ones that would be in public offices tomorrow, calling the shots.”
Just before the distribution of gifts started, the beneficiaries and other guests sang and danced along with the live gospel band. It was joy indescribable as the women seemingly forgot their sorrow for a moment. And Amam prayed for many of the participants.
The invited health workers screened the people for blood pressure, sugar level and other common ailments. Drugs were recommended for those with ailments that needed urgent medical attention, as well as referrals as the cases were.
Testifying of how the foundation has impacted her life, Mrs. Ijeoma Madekwe said that she was able to establish her own business with the financial support from AFI. She said that she got the money at a point she was searching for whom to stand for her as a guarantor in order for her to take a loan from a microfinance bank. Other members also came out to express appreciation to the NGO for touching their lives.
One of the speakers, Pastor Ifunanya Innocent, urged the women not to give up in life irrespective of the challenges they were facing, saying that life was all about the good, bad and the ugly.
“You are a widow does not end the beautiful chapters of your lives. No matter the troubles you are facing, God is with you,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Magdalene Izu, thanked her benefactors for the gifts. She said that the new clothes came to her as a surprise.