Orphans are usually not given a chance in life. For those who grew up in orphanages, it is only by God’s grace that they can rise. Such is the story of Akinyemi Ephraim George, who grew up at the Little Saints Orphanage in Lagos. His fellow corps members stumbled on his story when they visited the orphanage for their Community Development Service. To George, it was a home-coming and a reminder of how he became a graduate, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.
Who are the parents of Akinyemi Ephraim George? Are they still alive? Do they know that their son is now a graduate of Accounting from the Crawford University in Igbesa, Ogun State?
George does not sell provisions as depicted by the heap of food and household items behind him in this photograph. He is passing out with thousands of other 2013/2014 Batch B corps members today after completing the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The items were given by the Batch B corps members serving in Lagos State to the Little Saints Orphanage Home, in Akowonjo, a Lagos suburb, where he grew up with hundreds of other abandoned children, last Friday.
The stories of the abandoned children touched the hearts of the corps members who visited the home as part of their Community Development Service. They sighed in disbelief as they watched a documentary on how the orphanage rescued abandoned babies who came to the home emaciated, sick or near death. They marvelled at the before and after photos of the children which showed marked difference in their well being weeks after receiving adequate care. The most touching of the stories was that of baby Mary who was found with three stab wounds inflicted by her frustrated mother a few weeks after her birth. She miraculously survived and has been adopted by foster parents.
It was therefore a great joy to the corps members when Mrs Mayen Famous, a member of the Board of Trustees in charge of boys’ hostel announced that George was one of such abandoned children. They cheered loudly as the quiet 25-year old was called forward to share the stage with the NYSC Coordinator for Lagos State, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi who led the corps members to the home.
Mrs Adeyemi said the choice of Little Saints Orphanage was made by the corps members, not because they were aware one of them grew up there but to give back to the society in fulfilment of one of the cardinal programmes of the NYSC.
“NYSC is here because we want to impact on the orphanage community. NYSC has four cardinal programmes – the orientation, primary assignment, community development and passing out parade. The corps members here are rounding up their service Thursday. They decided to use the visit to cap all the CDS activities they have done all year including constructing classrooms, toilets, embarking on HIV/AIDS peer education and the like. We want to thank the orphanage for the privilege,” she said.
The visit may just have been routine for others but for George, it was nostalgic. Had he not been brought to Little Saints Orphanage about 15 years ago, he may not be a graduate today.
The young man remembers little of his biological family. “I came to the orphanage when I was 10. I learnt my mother got pregnant for my dad and she abandoned me. But my father picked me up and took me to his home and my step mother brought me up. Because of the way she maltreated me, I was pushed out. I left home at six. My step mother sent me to hawk. I lost some money and she told me to go and look for it. I lost my way and could not go back. I roamed the streets for about two years before the police brought me here,” he said.
George, whose surname is George, like every other child in the orphanage after the founder, Mrs Dele George, described growing up at the home as perfect.
“Everything has been given to me by Rev Mrs Dele George. I did not lack anything. When I was in primary school and a teacher used to refer to me and others as orphans derogatorily, Mrs George went to the school to warn them that we have been adopted by her so should not be called orphans. I am doing well. The orphanage has done enough for me,” he said.
However, George admitted that he sometimes felt emotional when he saw other parents visiting their wards during his university days.
Would he like to be reunited with his parents despite the neglect he experienced as a child? “Yes,” he said. “Because of the love of God, I will forgive and accept them. But I don’t know if they are alive or not.”
Now that he has been educated, George wants to give back to the orphanage that gave him so much.
“During my NYSC, I was able to acquire some skills. I learnt to make cocktail, small chops and Chapman. After service, I want to do my ICAN so I can become chartered, and my masters. Before then, I hope to get a job so I can give back to the orphanage,” he said.
George already has a job waiting and may only be learning of it now he has completed his NYSC. Mrs George, founder of the orphanage said the offer was made by visitors to the home.
“He already has a job waiting for him so we are very happy about it. It came from some people who visited the orphanage and saw him. It is a very good job,” she said.
Mrs Famous thanked the NYSC for pitching in to support the orphanage in a big way this time around. They donated items such as bags of rice, cooking oil, toiletries, cereals, beverages, milk, diapers, noodles, drinks, biscuits, stationeries, clothes, and others.
Despite the cost, she said the home seeks admission for the children in either public or private tertiary institutions.
“He is among the second batch of children from the home to graduate from the university. We have them in various universities. Because we do not want them waiting at home for admission for a long time, we enroll them in private universities. We have tried getting admission for them to the University of Lagos, but it has not worked out. However, Yaba College of Technology admitted two of them last year. We took seven and they admitted two, which we consider a success. We have some of them in Babcock and other universities,” she said.
When asked whether any of the universities has offered to help by waiving fees, she said no.
“The only thing they have done is to give us time to pay up but none has offered to waive the fees because we are an orphanage,” she said.
So far, Mrs George said the home has produced 25 graduates – with three more joining them before the end of the year.
“At present, we have produced 25. We have three of them coming out this year to bring the total to 28,” she said.
Mrs George said the vision of the orphanage is to the give the children the best – the reason why they do not restrict them to public institutions. While grateful that many Nigerians have helped out, she urged more Nigerians to support the Little Saints Orphanage and others to take vulnerable children off the streets.
“This is vision God gave us; so we must give them the best. We have a few sponsors that help us with their education at different leves. Some individuals sponsor nursery education, some secondary, while others sponsor tertiary. But just a few are doing it. We are appealing to more Nigerians to join us and other orphanages to give these children good education. If the orphanages did not pick them up, where would they be today? Nigerians have a big heart, but few are helping us,” she said.
The visit to the Little Saints Orphanage changed the outlook of many corps members who condemned the habit of abandoning or maltreating children.
Egwu Friday, a graduate of English Education from the Lagos State University (LASU), described the practice as embarrassing.
“The situation of the children was embarrassing. It is wonderful how they were transformed. It is a good thing we came. It will encourage us that when we have something, we know we should give,” he said.
Another graduate Lynda Efidol, who studied Health Information Management at the University of Lagos, said the visit was a first for her but would not be the last.
“When watching the documentary, I felt bad that a woman who gave birth to a baby could harm her. It is good that we came here. I have never visited an orphanage before. This is the first time. But I will be coming back,” she said.
