The Nation Newspaper

Tag: needy

  • N8m business funds for the needy

    N8m business funds for the needy

    Dejectedly they ambled into the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners Hall, Alausa, Ikeja penultimate Sunday morning. They had the inkling that the NASFAT Agency for ZAKAT and SADAQAT (NAZAS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) would distribute various gift items and cash to some less-privileged people. So, hopeful that they would get something to keep life going, they sauntered to the venue where the items would be disbursed. About 45 of them were present.

    Out of these, one is visually-impaired while two women came to the venue in wheelchairs. The remaining 42 beneficiaries were men and women who had thought all hopes were lost. They sat quietly while the women offered prayers intermittently. And even in their state of despair, they were still hopeful. After all, the outcome of that day had a positive impact on their lives.

    In what could be regarded as life-changing experience,  45 beneficiaries went home with various items and cash donations worth N8 million at a ZAKAT and SADAQAT disbursement ceremony organised by the NASFAT Agency for ZAKAT and SADAQAT (NAZAS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the needy. The agency was able to achieve the feat with the support and commitment of kind-hearted Nigerians who volunteered to part with some of their yearly earnings in form of Zakat.

    Committed to touching lives, the agency began to empower the downtrodden and provide scholarship programmes for indigent students. In all, about 235 people have been empowered by NAZAS. These include 86 students on educational scholarship support which cuts across primary, secondary, tertiary, visually-impaired, law school and prison inmates. It also embarked on empowerment and business support for 15 persons/SMEs, debts bail-out for six people, health-related cases/medical support for 15 people, business and accommodation support for six converts/reverts to Islam. Currently, 42 students are on regular annual scholarship list.

    The agency’s act of benevolence is not limited to individuals alone as it had reached out to the vulnerable groups within the society. In March this year, it dispatched the first batch of relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons camps in Borno, Yobe and Gombe states. This was jointly executed by NAZAS and Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC).

    Also, through its public health initiative, the agency is collaborating with Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) to provide free medical services to the downtrodden in underserved location.

    At the commencement of the programme in 2014, the agency gave out over N36 million on empowerment programme while in June this year during Ramadan it also gave out N6 million. The third intervention was worth N8 million, including items and cash donations. Some of the items donated were industrial machines, sewing machines, wiping machines and deep freezers. The donations were according to the specific needs of the each beneficiary.0

    Mrs. Aisha Ogunbayo, a physically-challenged mother of three who was brought to the venue in a wheel chair could not hide her joy for the gesture from NAZAS when she was called to come and receive a cheque of N200, 000 to revive her chemical business.

    “Is this real?”  Ogunbayo asked rhetorically. “Nobody has ever done this for me”.

    In a chat with reporters, Ogunbayo said: “This is real. But at the initial stage, I was skeptical about it.  I am into chemical business but I have been having financial difficulty. I discussed with one of the members and my husband also persuaded me to apply for it.  With this intervention, NAZAS has bailed me out of poverty. I am grateful to the organisation.”

    For Ashafa Amoke, a single mother and a seamstress, she couldn’t have wished for a better day. She received a sewing machine, wiping machine and a cash donation to equip her business. “NAZAS is God-send. I am a tailor. I finished my apprentice in 2005 with only one machine. Since then I have been struggling to make ends meet. I have not been able to raise money to equip my shop. I pray to God to give me the enablement to be able to pay back. God will continue to bless them and their businesses and as God prospers the work of my hands, I will be able to pay my Zakat.”

    One of the beneficiaries Ashafa, Taofeek Ahmed said: “I am happy that I am becoming my own boss. Today is a turning point in my life because God has used them to enable me to become a man of my own. With this money, I would be able to buy welding machine, filing machine and all the equipment I needed for my job. I never dreamt that I would receive such amount of money that would make me stand on my own.”

    One of the beneficiaries, Abdulfatai Onasanya said: “I am a transporter. I had a danfo that had been grounded for years. I have three children and in order for them not to be hungry, I went into petty trading.  With this money, I will be able to bring my bus back on the road. I am back to business and my hope is renewed. I thank the coordinators of this life-changing empowerment programme.”

    For 45-year-old Ranti Sodeinde, that day would remain evergreen as she also received funds to revive her business. The mother of two lost her husband 11 years ago and since then, life has become unbearable for her and her children.

    “I have been shouldering the responsibility of my family in the past 11 years. My deep freezer which I used to cool my soft drinks has broken down. I also do catering rentals but I need money to keep it going. I am excited. I pray that their children will not go hungry,” she said.

    Aileru Zainab one of the organisers and a beneficiary, who received a power generating set, deep freezer and cash, was grateful to the organisers.

    Falilat Olubori, also received a cheque for N300, 000 to expand her business. She said: “Things were not rosy for me. This fund will revive my vision, dreams, and business.  There are many of us who wanted help but I was among the chosen. I really appreciate this gesture. God bless them.”

    For Akewusola Shakirudeen, who graduated from the Department of Marketing Lagos State University in 2008, the intervention was timely. “Since I graduated in 2008, I have not engaged in any meaningful job.  I had a brief stint with LASU Muslim Community for two years. I also worked for LASU External Systems for two years before we were laid off. Since then, life has been difficult for me.  I intend to invest this N200, 000 in vegetable and palm oil business. Now, I will be able to put my marketing talents to good use,” he said.

    Explaining the activities of the agency, NASFAT President Worldwide, Alhaji Yomi  Bolarinwa said what the organisation is doing is not extra-ordinary as  one of the pillars of Islam is Zakat: which means  share with  the poor whatever Almighty has given  you.

    “People have given their Zakat and we are gathered here to distribute to those who are considered less-privileged. As a Muslim, you are enjoined to pay ZAKAT which will be distributed to those who are sick, whose bills are beyond their reach. People who cannot make ends meet, people who are supposed to work but don’t have the means. Basically, to assist people be a better Muslim. If someone is gainfully employed, he or she will be a better Muslim. It has been a rewarding experience touching lives,” he said.

    In a chat with reporters, Chairman, Board of Director of the agency and Managing Director of Accenture Nigeria, Mr. Yusuf said the inspiration to embark on such gesture is borne out of the five pillars of Islam which says trust in the oneness of God, observe your Salat, pay your Zakat, fast during Ramadan and if you have the means go for Hajji.

    “We realise that people try to observe all but neglect the key one which is Zakat. And this is one pillar that can help reduce poverty in the land. This is what inspired NASFAT to establish the agency which focuses on two goals of NASFAT namely education and welfare (empowerment or poverty alleviation).

    “So far we have spent N50 million. These funds come through donations from both NASFAT and non-NASFAT members. And for you to pay Zakat, you must be qualified with a value of N750, 000 a year,” he said.

    Yusuf said touching people’s lives positively through donations from benevolent Nigerians gives him and his team joy.

    Hear him: “I am grateful that one has been chosen to do this. It is also a sense of responsibility and trust. One has been entrusted with the wealth of others to cater for the needs of the less- privileged. It is a sense of accomplishment and gratitude that the little we are doing is helping others.”

    Continuing, he said: “I will be happy the day we spread our tentacles beyond Lagos and its environs by going national; I mean spreading to the 36 states of the federation. In the past two years, we have been able to distribute N50 million. I will be fulfilled the time we succeed in distributing up to N1 billion. This will indicate that we have done for humanity.”

  • Beauty queen helps the needy

    Beauty queen helps the needy

    Miss Ambassador to the North, Akogun Biodun Deborah, has reached out to orphans and the destitute in Kogi State.

    The queen, along with friends, was at the Moms Orphanage in Felele, Lokoja, the state capital, where she distributed beverages, clothing, food items and toys, even cash. She also danced with inmates and staff of the home.

    It was on the nation’s Independence Day anniversary.

    Akogun said her inspiration comes from God, adding that she feels fulfilled bringing a smile to people’s faces.

    She said, “They say charity begins at home. I am from Kogi State, and I said why don’t we start from here? It is Independence, so why not share with those that are needy and those who may not even know what is happening? The orphans need our love and attention. So, me and my friends, we were there to celebrate with them. I derive pleasure from helping people, particularly the less-privileged; I derive pleasure from making them smile.

    “I get support from God and from my family and friends. They’ve been there, they encourage me and they tell me not to give up”.

    Her message of hope to Nigerians is that they should not give up even in the face of seeming hardship.

    She said, “God will surely help each and every one of us. I know that Nigeria will surely get better and I pray that these people get the help they need from the people and from the government, so that they can rebuild their lives.”

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has built and commissioned two more houses for widows, bringing the number of such homes she provided for the poor to 11 in the last one year.

    The three bedroom bungalow with full amenities and furnishing were handed over to Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs. Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa communities, both in Umuahia North council area of Abia State.

    Speaking while handing over the houses to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ikpeazu said her mission of building houses for the homeless was a way of alleviating their suffering and of fulfilling a covenant she made with God to use her position to touch the lives of the people.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured that she will continue to provide assistance, welfare and empowerment to indigent men, women and children, revealing that the building of houses will go round to all parts of the state.

    She said that Governor  Ikpeazu has made welfare and empowerment a strong component of his administration’s policies and called on public-spirited individuals, non-governmental organisations and multi-nationals to join the government in reaching out to the needy.

    The wife of the Abia State Governor said that the task of empowering the people should not be left in the hands of government alone, stressing that government has a lot in its hands, “Which is the reason we are asking public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to join us in the task of helping the needy in the society.”

    In her speech the commissioner for women affairs in Abia State, Lady Chinedu Brown praised the performance of the wife of the Abia governor, for her efforts in ensuring that the indigent people in the state have a feel of the present administrations democratic dividends.

    In his own reaction the Chairman of Umuahia North council, Chief Okezie Ezeigbo, said that the governor’s wife has shown that the current administration is a public spirited one and pledged their unalloyed support to the administration.

    Responding Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa both who are above sixty years old said the wife of the governor has brought joy and happiness to them in their old age.

    The beneficiaries used the forum to pray for the wife of the governor that God will preserve her life and that of the governor her husband and grant them success in governance and give them wisdom to make Abia better.

    Mrs Ikpeazu later distributed clothing materials and other items to hundreds of other indigent women from the area after commissioning the buildings and urged them not to lose hope as God is in control of their lives at all times.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has built and commissioned two more houses for widows, bringing the number of such homes she provided for the poor to 11 in the last one year.

    The three bedroom bungalow with full amenities and furnishing were handed over to Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs. Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa communities, both in Umuahia North council area of Abia State.

    Speaking while handing over the houses to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ikpeazu said her mission of building houses for the homeless was a way of alleviating their suffering and of fulfilling a covenant she made with God to use her position to touch the lives of the people.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured that she will continue to provide assistance, welfare and empowerment to indigent men, women and children, revealing that the building of houses will go round to all parts of the state.

    She said that Governor  Ikpeazu has made welfare and empowerment a strong component of his administration’s policies and called on public-spirited individuals, non-governmental organisations and multi-nationals to join the government in reaching out to the needy.

    The wife of the Abia State Governor said that the task of empowering the people should not be left in the hands of government alone, stressing that government has a lot in its hands, “Which is the reason we are asking public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to join us in the task of helping the needy in the society.”

    In her speech the commissioner for women affairs in Abia State, Lady Chinedu Brown praised the performance of the wife of the Abia governor, for her efforts in ensuring that the indigent people in the state have a feel of the present administrations democratic dividends.

    In his own reaction the Chairman of Umuahia North council, Chief Okezie Ezeigbo, said that the governor’s wife has shown that the current administration is a public spirited one and pledged their unalloyed support to the administration.

    Responding Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa both who are above sixty years old said the wife of the governor has brought joy and happiness to them in their old age.

    The beneficiaries used the forum to pray for the wife of the governor that God will preserve her life and that of the governor her husband and grant them success in governance and give them wisdom to make Abia better.

    Mrs Ikpeazu later distributed clothing materials and other items to hundreds of other indigent women from the area after commissioning the buildings and urged them not to lose hope as God is in control of their lives at all times.

  • Council chief distributes foodstuffs to the needy

    Council chief distributes foodstuffs to the needy

    Worried by the level of poverty which residents of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area are experiencing, the Sole Administrator of the local government Lagos State, Mr. Adedoyin Rojaiye has distributed various food items to the needy at the grassroots.

    The distribution was carried out through the Chairmen of various Community Development Areas (CDAs).

    A total of nine CDAs benefitted from the N4 million worth of rice and beans for each CDA and wards in the local government.

    Mr. Rojaiye said the empowerment programme was borne out of the need to identify with the people, share their pains and give them hope, even in the midst of the dwindling economy.

    This, he added, will go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the people in their daily living. He assured non-beneficiaries of the scheme that they would benefit in the next programme, as the administration will not relent in impacting positively on their lives.

    He stated that in future, market women, youths and the physically-challenged will enjoy periodic free health care check-ups in various health centres, family counseling and other incentives.

  • First Lady feeds the needy in Niger

    First Lady feeds the needy in Niger

    Wife of Niger State Governor, Dr. Amina Abubakar has distributed food items to the less privileged, including people living with disability, widows and the vulnerable in the state.

    She said that the food items were donated by the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged.

    The food items included 1000 bags of rice, 1000 gallons of vegetable oil, 1000 cartons of tomato paste, 1000 cartons of specially packaged garri and 1000 cartons of custard which will be distributed among the 25 local government areas in the state.

    The governor’s wife appreciated the wife of the President for taking interest in the condition of the less privileged, widows and the physically challenged individuals in the state adding that this gesture will go a long way in helping the beneficiaries.

    “This donation is made in the spirit of the Ramadan fast as the President’s wife contributes her quota towards alleviating the suffering of the less privileged.”

    She appealed to the people to support the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration especially in his fight against corruption, job creation and youth empowerment.

    “It is true that although you might be going through some form of hardship right now, we need to preserve a little more because if we exercise patience with the government, very soon, we will all see the dividends of the change that we have been anticipating because sustainable change is truly a gradual process.”

    Bello also encouraged individuals in the society to develop the spirit of giving urging them not to look at the quantity of the items but the spirit behind the gesture.

  • Joy for the needy in Plateau

    Joy for the needy in Plateau

    It was a day of joy for needy children, some of whom lost their parents during conflicts, a familiar phenomenon in Plateau State. They got toys to play with. They also got food, thanks to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Julz Changing Fazes.

    They were not the only beneficiaries. Widows also relished the JCF moment, taking home foodstuff, clothing, jewelry and shoes, among other things.

    But perhaps the best thing they got was much-needed love.

    It was all happening in Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area of the state. The NGO assembled hundreds of the needy at the Roman Catholic Missionary (RCM) Primary School, Shendam where it distributed the items.

    The NGO started five years ago in Shendam with training of young girls in cosmetics and fashion design, among other trades.

    This time JCF reached out to orphans and widows as part of events marking its fifth anniversary.

    Director of the NGO, Juliana Aliyu said,  “Julz Changing Fazes (JCF) is all about helping the less privileged especially widows by showing them love and care which they have been lacking after losing their breadwinners. The NGO is also into encouraging and supporting girl-child education in rural areas.

    Aliyu said, “The NGO has been sustained with personal income and financial and moral support from family and friends. My focus is to concentrate on poor people who hardly get government attention; we try to give them a sense of belonging, hope and care.”

    She distributed toys and packaged food to children at the event which attracted hundreds of children and widows. Women with physical disability were also presented with wheelchairs.

    A former deputy governor of the state, Dame Pauline Tallen attended the event, as did Chairman, Management Committee of Shendam Local Government Area Hon Miskoom Alex Naantuam and his wife Mrs Regina Alex Naantuam. Hon. Johnbull Shekarau, member representing Shendam/Mikang/Quaanpan at the National Assembly was also there, as were several state functionaries.

    Mrs. Naantuam promised to partner with the NGO to be able to reach out to vulnerable widows and orphans in the locality.

  • Lawmaker cares for the needy in Abia

    Lawmaker cares for the needy in Abia

    The lawmaker representing Aba North and South at the House of Representatives has brought relief to the poor and ailing members of his constituency. On his 51st birthday, Hon. Ossy Prestige funded a medical outreach programme which involved blood pressure checks, eye and dental exams, among other procedures. Some were treated or given eyeglasses, some drugs, some referred to better equipped facilities.

    The outreach took place in Aba while the beneficiaries were drawn from communities in Aba North and South Federal constituency, though some from neighbouring Obingwa, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo also turned up.

    At the end of the event, about 100 persons were scheduled for eye surgery in Aba while those with complicated or serious cases were referred to various hospitals where they will be attended to.

    The beneficiaries said that it was the first time a lawmaker would celebrate with the poor in their constituency.

    They also called on other elected representatives and well-to-do to emulate Prestige.

    The lawmaker also announced his plan to sponsor eight members of the constituency for this year’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

    He said, “I felt that I should have my birthday with this category of people who are bedridden; those who are sick in Aba North and South Federal Constituency where I represent at the Federal House of Representatives, so as to give them hope and sense of belonging, that they have not been forgotten. These are the calibre of people that I want to celebrate my birthday with, because I felt that they would not have the best of life if they were on their various sick beds. I know that when they are healthy, they will thank God and that is part of the way I want to return the glory to God who has kept me alive and healthy until this period. My expectations are that a lot of people will go home healthier than they came.”

     

  • Philanthropist lends helping hand to the needy

    Philanthropist lends helping hand to the needy

    Bothered by the level of poverty and lack of education in his community, a United States-based philanthropist, Mr Dim Dennis Damian Anugwom has established a foundation through which he would empower the people of Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State. Known as Duke of Nigeria Foundation (DNF), its primary focus is empowerment of widows, widowers and students.

    Speaking to reporters in Lagos on Friday on why he established the foundation, Mr Anugwom said: “Public-spirited individuals should always have a thought for widows and orphans.”

    On his contributions to the welfare of the downtrodden, especially widows, Mr Anugwom who described himself as a community person, lamented the level of poverty in the land despite that the country is rich in both human and natural resources. He said the works of the foundation in empowering the poor are purely humanitarian.

    He said this informed the foundation’s reach-out to some people in his community last year. He said: “We noticed that many of our people are idle because they do not have the resources to start a trade or send their children/wards to school. Those whose husbands are no more need help. That was why the Duke of Nigeria Foundation gave out various sums of money to 22 widows, 11 widowers and 24 scholarships for students in secondary and tertiary institutions. The essence of the gesture was to enable the people to set up businesses that would help them to enhance the well-being of members of their families. In all, the foundation gave out more than N15 million.

    “The foundation also distributed about 100 bags of rice and other gift items to those who need them. Another area the foundation focused was health needs of the people. For now, we have not established fully-fledged health care scheme for the people, but in the interim, the foundation picked hospital bills of about 30 patients at St Mary’s Catholic Children Community Hospital, Umuowa.

    He said: “The condition of the poor in this country bothers me as it bothers everybody. Nigeria is a rich country peopled by a majority poor. With the grim realities on ground and with the realisation of that fact, people are now coming together to ask questions on why the situation has been so and when will it end. But it is not enough to be bothered but enough to proffer solutions.”

    Mr Anugwom’s love for the less-privileged persons in the society has fired his zeal to empower them in several ways.

    He revealed that the establishment of Duke of Nigeria Foundation was borne out of the need to empower the needy, especially the widows.

    He said: “The issue of widowhood is a pathetic one. What we did was to get them together and give them help and hope. The essence is to make them understand that the death of their husbands does not mean the end of their lives. They have a life to live and they have children to cater for.

    This we did by giving them certain amount of money to start petty trading, at least. We didn’t want to give them fish continually but to teach them how to fish so that any time they are in need of fish, they could get some for themselves.”

    On what the society should do to better the lives of the downtrodden, Mr Anugwom, who was honoured by the Igbo Community in 2007 in Lagos with the title of Duke of Nigeria in recognition of his various humanitarian works said: “The society knows that it has not done much for the poor in Nigeria and there are categories of less-privileged persons. The society is even taking proper care of those whose situations are not so pitiable. So, we have a society that cares less because, here everybody is on his own; only God for us all. This phenomenon promotes a mentality where everybody is hustling and those who have lost their husbands to death or those who have lost their fathers or mothers are more in worst situation than those people who can argue their cases or try to redress their situations.

    “The society actually should do more than we are doing now. I think when that happens; the mentality of people towards life would change.”

    On what the well-to-do should do to alleviate the sufferings of the poor, Mr Anugwom said those who are rich but care less about those in their environment, should have a change of heart because for the rich to live peacefully, they must seriously and sincerely work for the peace of the poor.

    “So, the wealth and welfare of the poor is in the hands of the rich, but the peace of mind of the rich is in the hands of the poor. When God gives one wealth, it does not indicate that one is the most handsome, brilliant or intelligent. One may not be the most hardworking, but it is for a purpose.

    “One is holding it in trust for those He did not give wealth but blessed in some other ways. As He keeps blessing one, one must keep taking care of the less-privileged.”

  • Foundation provides succour for the needy

    Foundation provides succour for the needy

    You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty”. This famous quote manifested in the philanthropic endeavours of the Vessel of God Charity Foundation run by Pastor (Mrs)  Annette Atanda. It is one of the few-and-far-between silver linings in the tenebrous fabric of the Nigerian social clime.

    Without doubt, a good percentage of the country’s population is savvy to the economic woes that have plagued the country in recent times. Retrenchment has become as Damocles’ famed sword, hanging ominously above the average Nigerian worker; inflation is rearing its oppressive head; ritual murder, kidnapping and other similar vices seem spliced to the news in macabre union, and the impression this presents is that there is nothing commendable about the contemporary Nigerian society that any should desire to be a part of it. Many Nigerians are tensed and understandably shrewd with their finances, and the general atmosphere spells woe unto anyone who is incapable of surviving independently.

    With the activities of the Vessel of God Charity Foundation however, there is yet hope. The foundation is a charity organisation run majorly by Mrs  Atanda who has been through tough times herself. Orphaned at an early age, she would have dropped out in her second year of studying Economics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka had a friend not decided to share her allowances with her. There was a will, and so there was a way. She graduated with a second class upper, but fell ill some time later. The illness got worse and she was admitted at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where she witnessed first-hand how people’s lives were being condemned for paltry amounts of money. She decided to start helping them and by 2010, she had received her official calling from God to start the Vessel of God Charity Foundation. It was to Aseese Community that she was led to commence her charity.

    She is not alone in this selfless endeavour. Fast by her side, acting as a bulwark, is her quiet and congenial husband, Pastor Femi Atanda. Initially, they started the charity with a scholarship fund. Annette had met a young girl hawking and weeping, and upon asking her what commoved her so, she disclosed that she could not go to school and had been reduced to hawking the streets. With support from the VOG foundation, she is now a JSS 1 student of Queen’s College, where she is heroically rating far above her peers. In similar fashion, the foundation sponsors the education of another class-topping young lad at Ikotun High School, and virtually 18 other children. Initially, funding was solely from her own salary which she earned for working as a service manager at a bank. Now however, family and friends have joined in it, and she hopes private bodies are hoped to join by God’s grace.

    Perhaps most captivating of the stories of those the foundation has helped is the story of Promise. She used to sell and smoke Indian hemp, as well as use it to cook for her husband and three children. She used to live in an uncompleted building in the most abject immiserisation. The foundation got her a home and put two of the children in school. The foundation also got her a job.

    The organisation has big plans for the future. It plans to develop a hospital for providing free medication and health services. It also plans to set up a Boarding School so it can provide free education. Not least of these are its plans to have lawyers on board who will help in its human rights cause. However, the organisation is currently limited to providing only clothes, shoes, food, books, bibles and other sustenance materials at outreaches. This is of course, in addition to its numerous scholarships – all of which are funded by someone’s salary and help from friends. To repair Nigeria is not a day’s job, but it will be a step in the right direction if people could join hands with the Vessel of God Foundation’s activities to help those of scant resources.