Expdonaloaded News; Group donates items to Uzuakoli Motherless Babies Home

The Igbo love for one another, which gave birth to the Igbo phrase, “Onye aghala nwanneya” (be your brother’s keeper) played out in the penultimate week when a Diaspora Igbo group, Old Bende Association, Dublin, Ireland came to the aid of the inmates of the Methodist Motherless Babies Home, Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

The Old Bende Association in Dublin which is an umbrella body uniting Bende natives resident in Ireland and Europe,was formed about 10 years  ago to foster brotherly relationship with one another as well as Ndigbo and Nigerians abroad.
That brotherly love among members of the group came to the fore when they came  to Nigeria and made straight to the Motherless Babies Home, Uzuokali where they donated food items and play kits to the inmates.
The Motherless Babies Home, Uzuakoli was built in 1942 by the Methodist Church and presently has about 29 inmates, operating under the care of a Briton, who is the matron of the Home, Mary Corput.
Speaking at the handing over of the items to the home, the National President of the Association, Sunday Obasi Kalu Nnanna, described the gesture as a token aimed at reassuring the children of the home that the association shares with them in whatever may be their circumstances in life.
He said their gesture was borne out of love and desire to reach out and touch the lives of the poor in the society in a positive way even as he spoke of their resolve to always identify with the inmates.
“This remarkable gesture was borne out of love and desire to reach out and touch the lives of the ordinary citizens in a positive way. It is our binding assurance to you that this is just the beginning of series of likewise gestures in years to come,” he assured.
The national president stated that as an umbrella organisation uniting individuals of Old Bende descent living in the Republic of Ireland, the association has been fostering that spirit of unity and cooperation that had existed since the era of their fore-fathers which they said distinguished them among their contemporaries.
Nnanna while stating that they donated the items to the Motherless Babies Home at Uzuakoli in obedience to the axiom that says charity begins at home, added “in our host country, Ireland and indeed Europe, we have distinguished ourselves through our brotherly relationship with one another, as well as Ndigbo and Nigerians in general thereby showcasing our rich cultural heritage and values”.
Nnanna who was represented by James O. Anya said charity has been the core objective of their mission and urged the government, corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals to render assistance to the less privileged children in orphanages and motherless babies homes to give them life and hope to actualize their God-given potentials.
Receiving the items, the Matron of the Home, Mary Corput, who was represented by one of the officials, Awa Kalu, expressed gratitude to the association for the donation.
Describing the Old Bende Association as a friend of the Home, Kalu added that the donations came at the right time as the play kit facilities of the inmates had damaged.
Kalu lamented that the Home was faced with baby food challenges which he said were not normally in the line of core basic items people donate to them and appealed to the public to emulate the association, adding that those who have been blessed, should bless others.
He appealed to hospitals and health centres in the state to assist the home through subsidized charges on medical treatment for sick children, stressing that the cost of seeking medical attention for the inmates had gone beyond the reach of the home.