•On his birthday, Anambra businessman gives hope to vulnerable children
It was an early Christmas for the children of the Victorine Home for Children, Gwarimpa, Abuja, last weekend, as they had a charity ball held in their honour, with money raised for their upkeep.
The colourful event took place at the Rabby Recreational Park, Life Camp, Abuja, and it was hosted by Chief Emeka Okonkwo. It was part of the 50th birthday celebration of the Anambra State-born businessman and CEO of Great Source Group.
The event was graced by many dignitaries, including the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwudobelu, and Chief Chido Obidiegwu, an aide to Governor Willie Obiano, among others.
The golden birthday celebration was initiated as part of Okonkwo’s usual philanthropic gestures of donating to the upkeep of children at Victorine Home and other orphanages. He also organised an elaborate party aimed at projecting the institute by utilising his high-end, social and business network to gather over 400 friends and associates to identify with the home.
The Victorine Home for Children is a special foster home, established by the Catholic Sisters of Jesus the Redeemer Congregation and their associates, to care for the children of imprisoned mothers, children of the insane, abandoned babies, orphans and similar children going through difficulties.
Sister Bridget Obiekwe, one of the administrators of the home, explained that, “We call it a foster home for children going through difficulties, such as children of prison inmates, children of insane women on the streets, and so on. We also take care of other abandoned children and orphans who have nobody to care for them.
“We take care of them and ensure that they go to school. When they get to secondary school age, we move them to boarding schools and continue to take care of them until they are reunited with their mothers after their prison terms. In the case of a life imprisonment, they are reunited with a willing next of kin to their mothers. But we only take the children whose mothers are in prison with the consent of their mother.”
The Victorine Home was delighted when Okonkwo decided to celebrate his birthday with the children.
Okonkwo, who said that God had been gracious to him, appealed to the guests to convert whatever birthday gifts they had for him to cash and cheques addressed to the children’s home.
On why he chose to focus his milestone birthday celebration on the welfare of needy children, he said: “I have always lived a life of giving. At this age, more than ever before, I have come to realise that service to humanity is the purpose of life and living. I believe that people should give wholeheartedly to the uplift of humanity. God has been gracious to me and has given me a lot of opportunities; now is the time for me to give back.
“The thought to celebrate with these children of Victorine Home came to my mind back in August, when I went to Canada to spend some time with my children who are schooling there. While we were having a family time together, I felt some kind of emptiness seeing the kind of opportunities my children enjoyed compared to these indigent children who have nobody to care for them, apart from Sisters of Jesus the Redeemer Congregation, who are putting all they have to care for them. So, I decided to have a special event where I would bring my influential friends to join hands with me not only to bring smiles on the faces of these children but to invest in their lives and education.
“Asking my friends and associates to channel whatever birthday gift they have for me to the benefit of these children doesn’t mean that all my needs have been met. I believe the gifts would add more value to the lives of the children than mine. The prayers of these children for the donors would be more beneficial to them than the mere “thank you” they would have received from me.
Okeke commended Okonkwo for his exemplary gesture, saying, “Emeka’s life is all about giving. He is so generous that sometimes you don’t even know how he does it and how you will ever pay him back.”
Chairman of the board of trustees of the home, Mr. Okechukwu Onyejiuwa, praised Okonkwo for his kind gesture. Other speakers, including business associates, members of his Nibo community, friends and family members, also affirmed Okonkwo’s kind-heartedness.
His wife, Rose, a chemical engineer and senior manager at the NNPC, also noted that: “My husband is kind to a fault. He can give out his last kobo. That makes him different. I have come to accept that generosity endears him to many. I’m proud of him.”
Other dignitaries at the event were Tony Ojukwu, executive secretary, National Human Rights Commission; Like Anele, managing director, Pipeline and Storage Company Ltd, Dr. Aliyu Bello Gusau, executive secretary, PTDF, Chief S.N Okeke, former chairman, Police Service Commission, and Onochie Anyaoku, former GED, Refining and Petrochemical, NNPC, among others.